Low-Radiation Europa Lander Mission Concept

Details Low-Radiation Europa Lander Mission Concept Low-Radiation Europa Lander Mission Concept

Dec 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p42b..08s&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P42B-08

Biology

[5200] Planetary Sciences: Astrobiology, [6221] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Europa

Scientific paper

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, conducted a mission design study focused on delivering a redundant two-lander mission to the surface of Europa. A mission focused on surface science permits a short lifetime for the prime mission (7 days) and thus enables a low total radiation dose mission to Europa. Lowering the radiation dose retires much of the risk and cost threats associated with Europa missions. Here we describe the science investigations and accompanying payload studied as part of this effort. The science payload allocation for each lander is approximately 40 kilograms. The goal of this mission is to explore Europa to investigate its habitability. Our study of life on Earth has revealed three critical components that comprise a habitable environment and our current understanding of Europa indicates that it may harbor all three. These "keystones" for habitability are liquid water, a suite of essential elements, and chemical or radiation energy to power life. Europa, with its global liquid water ocean, likely in contact with a rocky seafloor, may be habitable today and it may have been habitable for much of the history of the solar system. Europa is thus the premier target in our search for evidence of both past and contemporary habitability. The discovery and exploration of a world that hosts extant, i.e., living, life permits investigations that could revolutionize our understanding of chemistry, biology, the origin of life, and the broader context of whether or not we are alone in the Universe. This mission provides the first steps toward that goal.

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