Britons to probe ‘ice moon’

BRITISH scientists are to play a key role in an £812 million space mission to explore the icy moons of Jupiter.

The Juice (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) mission will investigate the possibility of “waterworlds” that may harbour life.

Its primary target is Ganymede, the solar system’s biggest moon, which is 8 per cent larger than the planet Mercury. Ganymede is thought to conceal a deep ocean of salty water beneath a thick crust of ice.