Brief

ESA’s Juice spacecraft snaps Earth and Moon photos during gravity‑assist flyby

The European Space Agency’s Juice probe passed over the Indian Ocean on Sept. 28, 2026, taking photos of Earth and the Moon as it used the planet’s gravity to boost toward Jupiter.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:02:06 GMT

On Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, the European Space Agency’s Juice spacecraft performed a gravity‑assist flyby of Earth, coming within 5,370 miles of the planet over the Indian Ocean and capturing images of Africa, Madagascar and the Moon, Mashable reported.

Juice’s navigation camera made its closest approach at 7:45 a.m. ET, and the probe’s monitoring cameras continued shooting throughout the visit, with the final frames taken the following day. ESA officials said the maneuver bent the spacecraft’s trajectory by about 20 degrees and increased its speed by roughly 7,800 mph, while using only a small amount of propellant reserved for the flyby.

“We used only a small amount of the propellant reserved for this flyby,” said Angela Dietz, Juice’s spacecraft operations manager, in a statement to Mashable. “This gives us more to use at Jupiter to carry out observations of the planet’s icy moons.”

The flyby marks Juice’s second Earth encounter, part of a series of maneuvers that began with a combined Moon‑and‑Earth flyby in 2024 and included a Venus pass in 2025. Juice is scheduled for a third Earth flyby in Jan. 2029 before arriving at Jupiter in 2031.

Key facts

Juice flew within 5,370 miles of Earth over the Indian Ocean on Sept. 28, 2026. (mashable.com)
The spacecraft’s closest approach occurred at 7:45 a.m. ET. (mashable.com)
Juice’s trajectory was bent by about 20 degrees and its speed increased by roughly 7,800 mph. (mashable.com)
Angela Dietz said only a small amount of propellant was used for the flyby. (mashable.com)
Juice will return for a third Earth flyby in Jan. 2029 and reach Jupiter in 2031. (mashable.com)