The European Space Agency (ESA) has recognized Ján Baláž from the Institute of Experimental Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences for his exceptional contribution to the JUICE mission.
JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer), a 1.6 billion euro project, was launched on April 14, 2023, from the Kourou spaceport on an eight-year journey to Jupiter. It will closely examine Jupiter’s moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, with the mission culminating in Ganymede’s orbit, marking the first human-made object to orbit another planet’s moon.
Baláž led the team contributing to the Particle Environment Package (PEP) on board JUICE, which will study Jupiter’s particle environment and the interactions with its moons within the planet’s intense radiation belts. The PEP includes an anti-coincidence detector developed by Baláž’s team, essential for distinguishing low-energy plasma particles from high-energy ones.
Baláž expressed his gratitude for the recognition, noting the surprise of receiving it so early in the mission, reminiscent of a past accolade for his work on the Rosetta mission.
Published, 22.11. 2023, slord
