Goimek sets course for Jupiter to take part in the JUICE exploratory mission

• Goimek, the high-precision machining company, member of the Danobatgroup, is involved in the Juice mission to explore the largest planet in our solar system together with Sener Aerospace

• Goimek has been commissioned to manufacture the main reflector of the medium gain antenna flight model or MGAMA, as well as its auxiliary elements, to secure both the thermal stability and the radio frequency performance of the aircraft

• The JUICE space mission, whose main objective is to explore Jupiter and its three largest natural satellites - Ganymede, Callisto and Europa - set to be launched on Thursday 13 April

After participating in the "conquest of Mars" in February 2021, Goimek, a high-precision machining and large machining company, is once again taking part in a historic milestone in the aerospace industry on a worldwide level. This time, the company has gone one step further and has collaborated with SENER Aerospace on the JUICE mission -JUpiter ICy moons Explorer- which aims to explore the planet Jupiter and its three largest natural satellites: Ganymede, Callisto and Europa.

The mission, which is led by the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with NASA, will take off on Thursday 13 April to explore these three ´moons´, the oceans beneath their surfaces, not only as celestial objects of interest, but also as possible favourable environments for life. In addition, this research will analyse the atmospheres and gravitational fields of the planet and these three satellites.

On this journey to Jupiter, which will take eight years, Danobatgroup boasts a major presence, as one of its businesses, Goimek, has worked with SENER Aerospace in the manufacture of the Medium Gain Antenna Main Assembly (MGAMA), which includes the JUICE spacecraft.

This dual-axis steerable antenna operates in X- and Ka-bands, both for two-way communication between the spacecraft and Earth and to ensure the operation of the radio-frequency experiment carried by the probe.

Specifically, Goimek has been responsible for the manufacture of the main reflector, a titanium part with a thickness of 0.7mm, 500 mm in diameter and extremely high precision geometric tolerances, as well as the auxiliary elements necessary for the correct operation of the system: the struts and the sub-reflector. In the words of Jon García, head of the aerospace sector at Goimek, "this development has been a major challenge for our team and has allowed us to expand our knowledge of this type of parts to the point where we have become true experts". 

High precision for communication between Jupiter and Earth

A variety of aspects have been taken into account in the manufacture of these parts. For starters the geometry, to ensure a correct operation of the mechanism, and of course the materials that had to be lightweight to save costs, but at the same time resistant and durable to be able to withstand the extreme conditions of the icy ´moons´ of Jupiter.

Participating in a project of this magnitude marks a new milestone in Goimek´s track record. As Marc Souto, the sales director of the cooperative, puts it: "Collaborating on a project of this magnitude has been very inspiring. It certainly has been a challenge, but definitely also an opportunity to showcase our full potential in high-precision machining of parts with complex geometries and materials, taking full avail of the talent and know-how of our team, made up of excellent professionals".

The Danobatgroup co-operative has more than 30 years of experience in offering technological solutions to the most demanding requirements of the aerospace sector. So far, Goimek´s high-precision machining has been used on several devices that have left the earth´s orbit via international space programmes such as Solar Orbiter, Perseverance, a project in which Goimek´s machined parts set foot on the red planet two years ago. Now, we will do the same on the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter.

About Goimek

Goimek is a company, specialised in high-precision and large-scale machining for more than 50 years, and offers comprehensive and specialised solutions to customers in the aerospace, machine tool, wind power generation and capital goods sectors among others.

The company is part of the Danobatgroup and brings together all the needs of the supply chain of machined parts, from the purchase of raw material to the verification and certification of the machined parts.

About Danobatgroup

With 65 years of experience in the field of industrial manufacturing, Danobatgroup employs 1,400 highly qualified people. The group is an international benchmark in advanced production systems and the machine tool sector.