The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its flagship Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission on Friday (April 14), producing some stunning images in the process.
The Ariane 5 rocket carrying the mission took off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Friday (April 14) at 8:14 a.m. EDT (1214 GMT), after a one-day delay prompted by lightning at the launch site. JUICE will now spend the next 8 years making the long trek to Jupiter and its moons after performing a mind-bendingly complex series of gravity assist maneuvers around Earth, its moon and Venus.
