A renowned lunar crater, featured in the iconic “Earthrise” photograph taken during the Apollo 8 mission, has become a focal point in the quest for extraterrestrial life. The crater, known as Anders’ Earthrise, spans nearly 25 miles (40 kilometers) across the far side of the moon and was immortalized by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968. This historic image, which captured the Earth rising above the lunar horizon, led to the crater being renamed in Anders’ honor in 2018.
Recently, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft, launched in April 2023, conducted a flyby of the moon as part of its mission to explore Jupiter’s moons for signs of habitability. JUICE is scheduled to reach Jupiter’s orbit in 2031. During this flyby, scientists aimed to test the spacecraft’s ten scientific instruments, particularly focusing on the Radar for Icy Moon Exploration (RIME).
The European Space Agency (ESA) reported that this lunar encounter marked the first chance to evaluate JUICE’s instruments on a solid surface in space. RIME is designed to use radio wave echoes to measure the elevation of rocky bodies. Its primary function at Jupiter will be to investigate the icy surfaces of moons such as Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
To maximize RIME’s effectiveness, ESA scientists muted the other instruments aboard JUICE while it passed over Anders’ Earthrise crater. This allowed RIME to collect data without interference for eight uninterrupted minutes. The radar mapped the moon’s elevation within the crater, which researchers later compared to previous measurements taken by NASA’s Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA).
Initial findings indicated that electronic noise from JUICE was affecting RIME’s readings, prompting a months-long effort to develop a new algorithm to rectify this issue. Following these adjustments, ESA announced that the new elevation map of Anders’ Earthrise crater was successful, showing peaks and valleys that align perfectly with earlier LOLA data. This validation confirms that RIME is prepared for its primary mission: to explore the subsurface of Jupiter’s largest moons in pursuit of potential signs of life.
As JUICE continues its journey, it is now en route to Venus, where the planet’s gravity will assist in propelling the spacecraft toward Jupiter. Over the course of its mission, JUICE will conduct 35 flybys of Jupiter’s major moons before establishing orbit around Ganymede from December 2034 to September 2035. This extensive research will not only enhance our understanding of gas giants and their formation but also aim to uncover the potential for life beneath the icy crusts of these massive moons.
This report was informed by information from Live Science, a sister site of Space.com.
