An incredible space mission is about to launch in a bid to find alien life on the moons of Jupiter.
The Juice mission, short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, will search the planet's icy moons to find out if they could have supported life at one point or even if they continue to do so.
The European Space Agency (ESA) mission will make the trip in humanity's latest quest to explore the stars in our sky. The venture will observe the gas moons Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa, which all have oceans of their own oceans. And as the countdown to launch is on, here is everything you need to know.
When and where is the Juice mission launch?
The launch is scheduled for 1:15pm UK on Thursday, April 13.
The rocket will launch from the European Space Agency's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
It means that the rocket is not actually being fired skyward from Europe, but instead, the French territory on South Africa's north coast.
Can I watch the Juice mission launch?
There will be a livestream of the launch.
The stream will begin around half an hour before the blast-off time, meaning you can tune in for the build up before everything kicks off.
You can watch the launch on the ESA Web TV directly or via YouTube continuous stream.
How long will the mission go on for?
The mission will go on for a long time - around eight years in fact.
The cruise time for the mission will take eight years with flybys of Earth and Venus included on the way to Jupiter. If everything goes to plan, the rocket will make close encounters with Jupiter's three moons using remote sensing and geophysical tools, with scientists also using equipment on the craft itself.
Jupiter will be closely examined during the mission, with astronomers hoping to gain knowledge about the planet's complex magnetic, radiation and plasma environment.
The ESA will be assisted in its works by NASA as well as space agencies from Japan and Israel.
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