Posted: Sat, Apr 15, 2023, 10:50 PM ET (0250 GMT)
An Ariane 5 launched ESA's JUICE mission to Jupiter this morning. The Ariane 5 lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana at 8:14 a.m. Eastern after a one-day delay due to weather. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft separated from the upper stage nearly a half-hour later, and controllers are working through initial deployments and other commissioning of the spacecraft. JUICE will perform several gravity-assist flybys of Venus and Earth before arriving at Jupiter in 2031 to study the large icy moons of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Space.com article
•  BBC article
•  New York Times article
•  ESA press release