[biorxiv.org] Current planetary protection approaches rely heavily on spore-based tests developed for Mars missions and may not adequately assess contamination risks for icy ocean worlds such as Europa.
JUICE
Posted inJupiter
Joint Dynamical-geophysical Evidence For A Limit Cycle In The Galilean Moons
[astro-ph.EP] Io, Europa, and Ganymede orbit in the Laplace mean-motion resonance, where their orbital and thermochemical evolution are strongly coupled [1-5]. Forced eccentricities sustain tidal dissipation, powering Io’s volcanism and […]
Posted inEuropa
VLBI Tracking of the JUICE Mission: Two Years of Cruise Phase Operations and Performance Analysis
[physics.space-ph] The JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in April 2023, represents one of the most ambitious deep space exploration endeavours targeting Jupiter’s […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Ganymede, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
Potential Cryovolcanic Regions on Ganymede: A Priority Target for JUICE
One of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission goals of the European Space Agency, launched in 2023 April, is the detailed characterization of Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon and a […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Two Spacecraft Observed Both Hemispheres Of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Simultaneously
The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instruments aboard ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft and NASA’s Europa Clipper made unique observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in late 2025. […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Thermophysical Properties of Europa’s Surface Constrained by Galileo Photopolarimeter-Radiometer Temperature Measurements
Thermal measurements constrain the physical properties of icy satellite surfaces, including grain size, porosity, and regolith structure. On Europa, analyses of the Galileo Photopolarimeter-Radiometer (PPR) dataset revealed thermal inertia heterogeneities, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report
Thermal Segregation and Reddening in Europa’s Double Ridges
Europa’s double ridges often display lower albedo and redder color than their surroundings. Their unique topography may cause sublimation-driven darkening due to illumination and self-heating, a process known as thermal […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Biomarkers on the Icy Jovian Moons: Can Europa Also Provide Insights into Life’s Origin?
Within the payloads of JUICE and Europa Clipper, there are instruments suitable for the search of specific biosignatures that can diagnose life tracks in two ways.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
How Juice Came To Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
No matter how much planning goes into space missions, one must always expect the unexpected. But luck favours the prepared. In July 2025, an unexpected visitor entered our Solar System, […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Status Report
Exploring The Habitability Of The Outer Solar System Icy Moons For The Extremotolerant Yeast Rhodotorula frigidalcoholis
Psychrophilic and psychrotolerant microorganisms have the unique ability to grow below 0°C, which makes them ideal candidates for studying how life could survive on the icy moons of the solar […]