The European Space Agency (ESA) have announced a near-one billion Euro mission (€900m) to try to confirm the suspected existence of ice and snow on three of Jupiter’s moons.



The ESA’s probe will pass close by two of Jupiter's 60+ moons, Callisto and Europa, before orbiting and then crashing into a third, Ganymede in a bid to test snow and ice conditions and look for liquid water, and possibly primitive life in it, in liquid oceans which scientists believe may exist under the frozen surface (or "potential ski slopes") of Jupiter’s moons.

In terms of après ski dining it seems likely that future skiers and boarders holidaying on Jupiter’s moons with be enjoying sushi rather than fondue, as scientists say there’s a chance of some space fish living in the waters below the frozen surface of the moons.

But skiers and boarders will have plenty of time to plan their first ski trips to Jupiter’s moons as the Juice probe is not due to set off until 2022 and will take 8 years to reach its destination, before spending a further three years studying Ganymede, a moon larger than the planet Mercury, and much better suited to supporting skiing life.

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