JUICE (JUpiter ICy satellites Explorer) is the European Space Agency’s first mission to Jupiter and aims to explore Europa, Ganymede and Callisto for signs of subsurface oceans and potential habitability. Engineers attributed the problem to a small stuck pin that prevented the antenna from opening properly.
Determined to solve this problem, the controllers devised several strategies, including using the spacecraft’s thrusters and sunlight to shake and heat the antenna. A few days later, success finally came when a “non-explosive drive” was fired, which moved the stuck pin and allowed the antenna to be fully deployed.
After the launch of the second run, the antenna was extended to the required length enabling future scanning of the interior of icy moons.
JUICE will arrive at Jupiter in 2031.
Source: Ferra
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