How Juice used the Moon and Earth to slingshot toward the outer solar system

The European Space Agency's Juice mission is currently on an eight-year trek to Jupiter. This video documents the spacecraft's initial months in space, focusing on the unprecedented double gravity assist maneuver performed using the Moon and Earth to gain momentum for its long journey.

Launched on 14 April 2023, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) is designed to become the first human-made machine to orbit Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon. The mission relies on complex gravity assist maneuvers to navigate the solar system. In August 2024, the spacecraft executed a lunar-Earth gravity assist (LEGA), a first-of-its-kind double maneuver that served as a critical test for the craft's scientific instruments and cameras.

The mission is managed through a collaboration between the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Spain, which handles science operations, and the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Germany, which maintains the flight path. The spacecraft is supported by the ESA tracking station network (Estrack), including the facility at Cebreros. Following the successful LEGA, Juice is now trajectory-bound for a second gravity boost at Venus, scheduled for 31 August 2025.

Source: From launch to lunar-Earth flyby | The journey of Juice (episode 1)