The JUICE spacecraft successfully separated from its Ariane 5 rocket after launch. (file)
Kourou, France:
The European Space Agency’s JUICE spacecraft successfully separated from its Ariane 5 rocket after launch on Friday, meaning the probe has begun an eight-year journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moons.
The probe separated as planned at an altitude of 1,500 kilometers (930 mi) 27 minutes after launch from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou.
Stéphane Israel, CEO of Arianespace, the French firm in charge of the rocket, said it meant the launch was “successful”.
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