NASA Eyes Mission To Icy Jupiter Moon Europa To Gauge Habitability

http://www.space.com/18901-nasa-mission-jupiter-moon-europa.html

by rpm4321 • 14 years ago

38 7 14 years ago

gnosis• 14 years ago

NASA had planned a joint mission[1] to Jupiter's moons (including Europa) with the European Space Agency, until NASA pulled out of the mission in 2011.

Now it seems NASA wants to go to Europa again. I wonder what changed.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Jupiter_System_Mission

ChuckMcM• 14 years ago

Tempted to say they found an obelisk in orbit :-) but more seriously NASA says a lot of stuff around budget time, and in times of imminent fiscal cliffs where they don't see a lot of other targets standing on the field.

troymc• 14 years ago

Yep, and before that there was JIMO, the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter, which was to be powered by a nuclear fission reactor (not an RTG). It lost funding in 2005.

ESA continues work on JUICE, the Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer.

No doubt there are more I'm forgetting.

JIMO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_Icy_Moons_Orbiter

JUICE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_Icy_Moon_Explorer

cpleppert• 14 years ago

Interesting that after canceling that joint mission Nasa then committed $1.5 billion for the curiosity based rover mission. It seems that it was mostly an excuse to keep JPL funded and this mission, which is similar to the proposed joint mission will be led by JPL as well.

tunnuz• 14 years ago

Jokes about 2010: Odissey Two in three, two ... screw it! I'll be first!

ALL THESE WORLDS

ARE YOURS EXCEPT

EUROPA

ATTEMPT NO

LANDING THERE

idont• 14 years ago

Looks like NASA does not read Fitch and Moody's reports...

pixie_• 14 years ago

Does anyone else think Nasa should be figuring out how to setup colonies on new worlds.. I mean the question of life on Mars (or anywhere else) is a good one, but we'll be able to figure all that out a lot easier if we're there in person. It's no going anywhere.

NASA Eyes Mission To Icy Jupiter Moon Europa To Gauge Habitability

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