The European Space Agency (ESA) reported that the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) detected the necessary ingredients for the origin of life in the Earth’s atmosphere during its flyby of Earth on August 20. In other words, the JUICE probe confirmed that Earth could be inhabited.

Of course, complex scientific instruments are not needed to confirm the existence of life on Earth. But in reality, these tests were necessary to calibrate the JUICE equipment before sending it to Jupiter’s moons. The probe is designed to study three large “moons”: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.

JUICE – Instruments mounted on MAJIS (Moon and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer) and SWI (Submillimeter Wave Instrument) collected data during the Earth flyby. They received signals from molecules in the atmosphere, including water, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur. The latter are CHNOPS elements, which are considered the most common components of living organisms.

We are probably not surprised by these results… It would be extremely disturbing to learn that Earth is uninhabitable! But they do show that MAJIS and SWI will be very successful at Jupiter and will help us understand whether the “icy moons” are potential habitats for past or present life. Olivier Witasse, researcher on the Juice ESA project

“Population” scientists define as the existence of the conditions necessary for life to emerge and exist. Experts believe that life could exist on Jupiter’s moons because oceans are hidden under their icy surfaces. JUICE is scheduled to go to Jupiter’s moons in 2031. Before that, it will also pass by Venus in August 2025.