The JUICE mission — short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer — is studying Jupiter and its most intriguing moons, with Hungarian researchers and engineers contributing to one of its key scientific instruments, the PEP particle package.

 Experts at the HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre designed the power supply systems for four of the instrument’s six detectors, while the HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research is now monitoring their operation.

According to the research network, the Hungarian-built system is performing flawlessly in the extreme conditions of space. Its temperature behaviour matches earlier simulations, and Hungarian scientists are also helping analyse the first sensor readings.

JUICE’s route to Jupiter is far from direct. The spacecraft uses a series of gravity-assist manoeuvres to build up speed and adjust course, including a historic orbital correction in August 2024 that used the combined gravity of the Moon and Earth — a first in space exploration.

The mission has also already produced scientific highlights. In November 2025, JUICE flew past the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS and took more than 120 images of the object, which came from outside the Solar System.

Researchers are now analysing the data and comparing it with familiar comets from our own planetary neighbourhood.

JUICE’s main goal is to explore Jupiter, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, moons that may hide liquid water beneath thick ice crusts. The PEP instrument will help study their exospheres, chemical composition, and interactions with Jupiter’s magnetic environment, including the unique magnetic field of Ganymede.

The mission plan will also expand to include a close pass by Kallichore, a moon discovered in 2003, bringing another target into JUICE’s scientific scope as it continues its journey toward the outer Solar System.

Read more about methane on Comet 3I/ATLAS:
earthsky.org/space/comet-3i-atlas

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