Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Sep 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009dps....41.1611b&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #16.11
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
Four hundred years after Galileo Galilei's earth-moving discovery, Europa once again has a profound scientific importance. Data from the Galileo spacecraft revealed that Europa's icy surface likely hides a global subsurface ocean with volume nearly three times that of Earth's oceans. The existence of liquid water in the outer solar system was once thought a remote possibility, but the combination of geological, gravitational, and magnetic field observations and theory make it appear likely that liquid water exists beneath Europa's icy surface. It is now recognized that oceans may exist within many large icy satellites, but Europa's inferred thin ice shell and potentially active surface-ocean exchange elevate its priority for astrobiological exploration. A Europa mission is the first step in understanding the potential for icy satellites as abodes for life.
Many unanswered questions remain following the Galileo mission. How thick is the ice shell? Is Europa currently geologically active? How does the ocean interact with the ice shell and with the underlying rocky layer? What is the composition of Europa's surface and ocean? Are there organic materials or perhaps even biosignatures? These questions can only be answered by a new mission to the Jupiter system.
Several national committees have recognized the high priority and relevance of Europa to scientific advancement. In 2003, the decadal Solar System Exploration Survey of the NRC called for a Europa orbiting spacecraft as the single highest priority large "flagship class" exploration mission for the decade 2003-2013.
The planned joint ESA-NASA Europa Jupiter System Mission, prioritized as the next Outer Planets Flagship mission, will meet these science goals. The Jupiter Europa Orbiter spacecraft element of the mission would confirm the existence of Europa's subsurface ocean, characterize in detail the moon's surface and icy shell, and conduct reconnaissance vital for future landed exploration.
Bierhaus Edward B.
Blaney Diana L.
Collins Geoffrey
Cooper Joshua
Dalton James Bradley
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