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Nasa eyes ambitious mission to icy Jupiter moon Europa by 2025

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posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 02:23 PM
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Apparently NASA has a mission which has been in development for years called the "Europa Clipper" which is said to be the best option they have right now to explore the icy moon. The Europa Clipper would be an un-manned Mission which would explore Europa.

"The Clipper would enter into orbit around Jupiter, then study Europa during dozens of flybys over the course of 2.3 years. On its closest passes, it would come within just 15 miles (25 km) of the moon's frozen surface. These close encounters should help the probe crack some of Europa's most intriguing mysteries, such as the thickness of its ice shell and the saltiness and approximate depth of its ocean (as well as confirming that the ocean exists), Senske said."

I think this mission should be interesting. I still think Encelladus is the best candidate Moon for finding life but Europa could have some surprises.

What say you, ATS?


www.space.com...



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 02:33 PM
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reply to post by lostbook
 


That's all well and good, and more (flight) power to them. But why not toss up six of these at a time, and a dozen Rovers on Europa to go with it. I know, the answer is "not enough money", or "ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE" or something. But sending these missions one at a time, then we wait, then the next one, and after a half dozen or so let's try a Rover, bah, send them up like homing pigeons and then send a few more.
edit on 5-3-2014 by Aleister because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 02:37 PM
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These are the kind of news I really like reading once back home
For a second, though, I played in my mind it was our deplorable continent, not the moon, NASA is planning to explore.

Well, give us 10 years and we might have it all sunk under icy clouds and regurgitating sulfates.



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 02:47 PM
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Aleister
reply to post by lostbook
 


That's all well and good, and more (flight) power to them. But why not toss up six of these at a time, and a dozen Rovers on Europa to go with it. I know, the answer is "not enough money", or "ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE" or something. But sending these missions one at a time, then we wait, then the next one, and after a half dozen or so let's try a Rover, bah, send them up like homing pigeons and then send a few more.
edit on 5-3-2014 by Aleister because: (no reason given)


And what kind of tread would your rover have?

Exactly where on Europa would you land it?

Any highly detailed maps of it's surface yet?

Would be pretty bad to land a rover, only to have it slipping and sliding all over the place, or worse, not moving at all (not enough friction), or: lands on thin ice over a hidden crevasse. Bye-bye rover.

I'm all for us getting out there (I'm not getting any younger), but we need to have a bit more info before we go charging in. Probes sending back that information would help to get something that can be on the surface work correctly.

So at the very least it would be nice if they'd get the probes there a bit quicker.



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 03:10 PM
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Aleister
reply to post by lostbook
 


That's all well and good, and more (flight) power to them. But why not toss up six of these at a time, and a dozen Rovers on Europa to go with it. I know, the answer is "not enough money", or "ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE" or something. But sending these missions one at a time, then we wait, then the next one, and after a half dozen or so let's try a Rover, bah, send them up like homing pigeons and then send a few more.
edit on 5-3-2014 by Aleister because: (no reason given)


That's called an invasion.

If there is life they may be obliged to 'explore' the Earth.

Do you want an alien doing a colonoscopy?



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 03:24 PM
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"All these worlds are your's except Europa. Attempt no landing there!"

Sorry. couldn't resist...


edit on 5-3-2014 by stormbringer1701 because: (no reason given)



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 03:40 PM
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actually my idea for Europa is rather mean. I would make an artillery shell shaped penetrator with an RTG ice melter in the cone. it would burrow through ice into the ocean below it could spool out a communication line behind it and leave a sat phone transmitter at the surface. i would have it dispense tardigrades known as water bears and a nutrient supply. i would have it seek out thermal vents. i would then film to see how the tardigrades do. my bet is tardigrades could survive and thrive in Europa's oceans. then we could know there is life out there for sure and get on with other questions about the universe.

i know that is kind of feckless but if there is native life there that evolved for billions of years to be adapted to their native environment but cannot out compete an ill suited interloper it deserves to darwin out. besides i am just kidding (mostly.) I do think tardigrades could survive there if given half a chance. you can't really kill them. they survive hard vacuum and being exposed to unshielded solar and cosmic radiation and cryogenic as well as broiling temperature. they can go dormant for centuries until conditions are favorable and then reanimate and thrive.



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 06:15 PM
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Whats the cost?



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 06:28 PM
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reply to post by lostbook
 


A mission to Europa is long overdue. I'll be happy with a spacecraft that makes these fly-bys, but I think they should include a lander that would land (d'oh) and take more precise measurements, as well as cool pictures. Besides some old blurry pictures from Titan, we don't have any pictures from the surface of a Solar System body beyond Mars.

A fairly simple lander can take tons of useful (and unique) scientific measurements.



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 06:42 PM
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Im Sorry...So the US is going to send another little tin can out to space, with a computer brain no better than a modern phone with its 3 year mission to land on a Jupiter moon, drill a hole then run out of power?

Where are we? ...1973?

Rocket technology is ancient human technology.
What have human scientists been doing for the past 60 years?
What have the 100s of people, who daily fly into Area 51 and disappear into hangers, been doing for the past 40 years?
Are they making toys out of popsickle sticks and gum?
What about the Lockheed boss telling us we can take ET home, but we cant even fly a tin can to Jupiter in less than 2 years?
Are we still totally stupid (yes obviously).

WW3, Kill them all, Dont trust anyone, More War etc etc.
What the hell is wrong with people.

Its about time the people of the Earth took the blinkers off, pulled their fingers out their a**, and worked together.

All the scientists/technicians/engineers etc of the Earth, could easily build a fleet of intra solar space vehicles, using solar power, nuclear batteries (we have them), advance non chemical propulsion, loosely based on a saucer/triangle/spherical shape, that can traverse, space, atmospheres and liquid water.

All can be done with our technology we have right now, not to mention the secret stuff we know is out there (but all military of course, a more efficient way to kill and control people)
We could even use hybrid tech, chemical propulsion and aeronautics for atmospheres, exotic for space.

Amalgamate all space agencies World wide, have a massive thinktank, and build a fleet of vessels to explore for the knowledge of humanity and Earth...not one crappy tin can on a huge useless rocket...

Yes we can..... do it.
.



posted on Mar, 5 2014 @ 07:36 PM
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gort51
Im Sorry...So the US is going to send another little tin can out to space, with a computer brain no better than a modern phone with its 3 year mission to land on a Jupiter moon, drill a hole then run out of power?

Where are we? ...1973?

Rocket technology is ancient human technology.
What have human scientists been doing for the past 60 years?
What have the 100s of people, who daily fly into Area 51 and disappear into hangers, been doing for the past 40 years?
Are they making toys out of popsickle sticks and gum?
What about the Lockheed boss telling us we can take ET home, but we cant even fly a tin can to Jupiter in less than 2 years?
Are we still totally stupid (yes obviously).

WW3, Kill them all, Dont trust anyone, More War etc etc.
What the hell is wrong with people.

Its about time the people of the Earth took the blinkers off, pulled their fingers out their a**, and worked together.

All the scientists/technicians/engineers etc of the Earth, could easily build a fleet of intra solar space vehicles, using solar power, nuclear batteries (we have them), advance non chemical propulsion, loosely based on a saucer/triangle/spherical shape, that can traverse, space, atmospheres and liquid water.

All can be done with our technology we have right now, not to mention the secret stuff we know is out there (but all military of course, a more efficient way to kill and control people)
We could even use hybrid tech, chemical propulsion and aeronautics for atmospheres, exotic for space.

Amalgamate all space agencies World wide, have a massive thinktank, and build a fleet of vessels to explore for the knowledge of humanity and Earth...not one crappy tin can on a huge useless rocket...

Yes we can..... do it.
.





"Yes, just do it..........." But you and I both know that this scenario will never happen.




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