Only adding to its credentials, Antwerp Space has now created a communication system that will bridge the gap between Earth and planet Jupiter. “The system is ready and currently being installed in a satellite called Juice in the German city of Friedrichshafen. Members of the Antwerp Space team have integrated our new communication system into the satellite,” says Koen Puimège, director of Antwerp Space.
“In 2022, the satellite will be launched into space from French Guiana,” he adds. “And by 2029, it will arrive in orbit around Jupiter. Our system will enable communication between the unmanned satellite and European ground stations in Kiruna (Sweden), Darmstadt (Germany) and Redu (Belgium), among other locations. It will take 50 minutes to exchange information between Jupiter and Earth.”