We need to get to Europa!!!!

[Neil]

More evidence of an ocean!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15754786


We could do this mission to Europa now! But I suspect we'll still be faffing around in 20 years!

[Legion2213]

Dude, have you not watched "2010"?

All these worlds are yours except europa.

It's not ours to explore. :p

On a more serious note, ANY form of life on Europa would make it "one planet out of three that we've sent probes to" that have some form of life in our own solar system alone. Drool-worthy stats for those who hope that we aren't alone in the universe.

[Mike70]

the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) is scheduled to launch in 2020, arriving at jupiter in 2026. it will contain 2 orbiters. one that will investigate europa close up and personal like. the second orbiter will be investigating Ganymede and Callisto.

this mission got priority over the second mission to titan. i don't know about that. there are so many interesting things going on on the surface of titan and considering that there is clear evidence of water and organic chemistry happening on enceladus, i'd rather go back to saturn.

the second titan mission includes not one but two landers, one of which is going to splash down right in the middle of the Kraken Mare (the largest body of surface liquids off of Earth- it's ethane though, not water). that will be damned interesting.


back to europa: the idea of an orbiter to investigate the ice thickness is solid and needed bit of data. though i'd really like to send an orbiter and a lander to europa. the orbiter could also be carrying a kinetic energy penetrator to bust through the surface ice allowing access the water underneath, which could then be sampled by a lander.

[Neil]

the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) is scheduled to launch in 2020, arriving at jupiter in 2026.
That's great, but that's 14yrs... That means 20yrs before we even have a hope of a probe into the ocean... And let's be realistic, it will be far far longer than that. Assuming it's another 14yrs, that would make me older than dad live to. So it's entirely probable (at current rates) I might not live to see a probe in the oceans of Europa :(

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15767515