The European Space Agency’s JUICE spacecraft got a 3.5 km/s speed boost from an Earth gravity assist on September 28. The flyby bent the probe’s path and flung it toward Jupiter.

The spacecraft passed Earth at an altitude of about 8,640 km. Engineers used the planet’s gravity like a slingshot, stealing a little of Earth’s orbital energy to speed up the probe.

JUICE, short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, launched in 2023. It is heading to study Jupiter and three of its large icy moons, which scientists believe may hold oceans under their frozen crusts.

The mission team had resolved an onboard anomaly during the approach, ESA said. The flyby marks another milestone in the probe’s long cruise to the outer solar system.

JUICE will make another Earth flyby in January 2029 before reaching Jupiter in July 2031. The mission is one of Europe’s most ambitious deep-space projects. The data collected during the flyby will help engineers fine-tune the next manoeuvre, ESA said.