One year since the launch of ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice), we catch up with core team...
One year since the launch of ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, we catch up with core team members Claire Vallat, Giuseppe Sarri, Olivier Witasse and Ignacio Tanco.
From memories of launch day to hopes for the future, they talk honestly about the ups and downs of flying a space mission, and reveal how they're ensuring that Juice will be a huge success.
For Giuseppe, who led the Juice project between 2014 and 2023, the talk of launch brings back more anxious memories.
Giuseppe: "On the day of the launch, everything was good with the spacecraft, good with the launcher. But the weather was not cooperating. We came very, very close to launch, but then we had to stop. And that was a little bit demotivating."
After being folded up for launch, it refused to open up in space.
"It took about a month of continuous work, and the pressure was completely different from during the launch and early operations phase. But fortunately, we were supported by very competent and professional individuals from industry, from the Juice project team, and within our operations team, and ultimately we were successful."
Together with the teams leading each science instrument, they have had to take a few big decisions over the past year.
Claire: "We've recently entered what I would say is our first conflict negotiation and resolution with the different instrument teams. The flyby of the Moon and Earth in August is the only opportunity we'll have for certain measurements during the cruise phase. Understandably, everybody's interested in getting science out of it."
Olivier: "In November we released the full two-hour making of Juice documentary, which I think gives a really good behind-the-scenes insight into how a project team works together with industry and scientists, into how we build a spacecraft."
"Juice is Juice! It's a great mission, a completely fascinating mission. It's just that the phase has changed, so now we have a real spacecraft in space to operate. For me it's a transition and I try to navigate the best for this. I know there are a lot of challenges, so that's why I'm still focused, concentrated on my task, and making sure that we don't waste any time."