Jupiter space probe JUICE snaps flyby photos of Earth and Moon
Final rehearsal for the instruments ahead of their deployment in the Jupiter system
On 28 September 2026, the European Space Agency's (ESA) JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) space probe completed its second Earth flyby manoeuvre, marking another important step on its journey to the Jupiter system. At its closest approach at 13:45 CEST, the probe came within 8640 kilometres of Earth, above the Indian Ocean. The flyby manoeuvre steered JUICE's trajectory further towards Jupiter; a final Earth flyby is scheduled for January 2029.
While passing Earth, JUICE was using our planet’s gravity to adjust its course while, at the same time, testing its instruments ahead of their deployment in the Jupiter system from 2031. The JANUS camera, in which the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) plays a key scientific and technical role, took 740 images of Earth and the Moon over several days, enabling the science team to carry out important functional tests, among other things.
JANUS will later investigate the surfaces of Jupiter's moons Ganymede, Callisto and Europa, reveal geological structures and help us to understand the evolution of these 'ice worlds'. The camera will also explore Jupiter's uppermost cloud layers, the planet's thin rings and some of its small, irregularly shaped moons.
The laser altimeter GALA, another instrument on board JUICE led by DLR, also collected valuable data for calibrating the instrument.
Excerpt from the DLR press release, dated 16 October 2026
Full press release with detailed information on the flyby and the ESA mission