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Université du Temps Libre (english)

From 2005 until 2016, I have given lectures in astronomy and tutored observation nights (8 per year, in the winter) at the Bordeaux Observatory for the Université du Temps Libre d’Aquitaine (UTL). I was even responsible for the overall organization from 2011 to 2016.

List of lectures: The search for water on Mars, Water in the Solar System, Exoplanets, Radio observations of planets, Planetary atmospheres, Saturn’s Great Storm of 2010-2011, The exploration of Pluto, the Antikythera Mechanism, the JUICE mission, Observing as a professional astronomer, Space exploration

Information on the current UTL astronomy courses can be found here.

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The JUICE mission

The next flagship mission of the European Space Agency  (ESA) will be the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE). This probe will be launched in 2022 and will follow a Venus-Earth-Mars gravitational assist trajectory. It will enter into Jupiter orbit in 2030.

JUICE will study the jovian system for about 4 years with a suite of 10 instruments, among which the Submillimetre Wave Instrument (SWI). the adopted trajectory proposes about 50 jovian orbit (including ~10 inclined orbits), two Europa flybys, and about 30 flybys of Ganymede and Callisto. JUICE will eventually enter into a Ganymede orbit.

The science objectives of the JUICE mission are detailed on the ESA JUICE webpage.

 

The JUICE mission (credits: ESA)

My work, as ESA Working Group Lead, consists in coordinating the scientific preparation of the observations of Jupiter with the MAJIS, JANUS, UVS, 3GM and SWI instruments, with L. Fletcher (University of Leceister). We study the best observation and synergistic science opportunities. We regularly produce reports for ESA. More information on the science preparation of the mission can be found on a dedicated ESA webpage.

JUICE trajectory segmentation example to optimize Jupiter observations.

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