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Could we find life on Jupiter's moons?

The European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission - better known as Juice - is on an eight-year quest seeking alien life on Jupiter's icy moons. Its 6.6 billion km journey is due to begin with a launch from French Guiana. ѿý Newsday asked Dr Gaitee Hussain – the Head of the Science Division at the European Space Agency based at the Operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany – if she is excited.

“This is the culmination of 20 years work bringing together scientists and engineers from all over Europe and well beyond to answer a fundamental question about our solar system. A particular focus of the mission is on what we call the icy moons around Jupiter. We think, based on previous spacecraft…[they] have vast oceans… liquid water oceans… where life could potentially be hosted.”

(Pic: Artist’s impression issued by European Space Agency (ESA) of Juice being released into space; Credit: EPA)

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