Euro Heat Pipes work is quoted in the newspaper “l’Echo” in an article dedicated to the space probe JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) which will explore the icy moons of Jupiter named Ganymede, Europa and Callisto.
We can be proud of our contribution to this space probe JUICE which is noteworthy in many ways:
- This is the first time that an European probe will go so far in the solar sytem
- Beyond providing the heat pipes for the probe, we have also performed dedicated studies & trials to assess the impact of the radiations (much harsher around Jupiter) on our products.
- This probe will leave Earth in 2023 and will make an incredible trip to reach Jupiter:
- After leaving Earth,
- it will pass by Venus in 2025
- will come back close to Earth in 2026
- will go beyond Mars …
- but will come back close to Earth, one more time, in 2029
- and will finally reach Jupiter moons in 2031
Why such a complicated journey ?
A tremendous amount of energy is required to reach the outer solar system. In order to cap the fuel quantity onboard, the probe will make several gravity-assist maneuvers (also called swing-by): by entering and leaving the gravitational sphere of influence of a planet, which is orbiting around the Sun, the probe will be able to accelerate (and also to change direction) with no fuel consumption.
Here is a short video showing this journey : 5 Gravity-Assist Flybys Will Get ESA’s JUICE To Jupiter | Video – YouTube
Subsidiary at 51% of Airbus since 2017, Euro Heat Pipes (EHP) company, based in Nivelles (Belgium), has delivered a set of 27 heat pipes (thermal control systems for spacecraft) which allow the transfer of the excess heat to cold areas of the spacecraft.
Full article on “l’Echo” website:
De la technologie belge pour scruter les lunes de Jupiter | L’Echo (lecho.be)
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