ESA’s Juice completes first ever lunar-Earth flyby

ESA’s Jupiter-bound Juice spacecraft completed a historic lunar-Earth flyby on 28 September 2026.

The manoeuvre marked the first time a probe has used the gravity of both the Moon and Earth in quick succession to adjust its path.

The flyby took place on 28 September 2026, with closest approach at 11:45 UTC over the Indian Ocean at an altitude of 8,640 km.

It was the first ever lunar-Earth flyby conducted by a spacecraft.

From 06:00 UTC, Juice flew through Earth’s shadow and operated on battery power alone, while the team prioritised the most important instrument observations.

A total of 10 science instruments were switched on; the flyby science campaign runs from 23 September to 3 October 2026.

The navigation campaign began on 17 August 2026 and provided six trajectory correction opportunities.

During the flyby, Juice passed over Australia.

Juice was launched in April 2023 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

The successful flyby demonstrates a complex gravity-assist manoeuvre that uses both the Moon and Earth, which is essential for Juice to reach Jupiter in 2031 with minimal fuel. It also serves as a critical in-flight test of its science instruments, helping to prepare for operations at the Jovian system.

Juice is a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA). Launched in April 2023 from the Guiana Space Centre, it is headed for Jupiter, where it is scheduled to enter orbit in 2031 and later orbit the moon Ganymede starting in 2034.

The 28 September flyby is the first of three Earth gravity assists planned for the spacecraft. Two further flybys of Earth remain, with the next one set for January 2029.

Juice is expected to arrive at Jupiter in July 2031 and will eventually enter orbit around Ganymede in 2034.