Europa-Jupiter System Mission

[Yuri_Armstrong]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Jup ... em_Mission

The Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM, ESA-working title: Laplace) is a proposed joint NASA/ESA unmanned space mission slated to launch around 2020 for the in-depth exploration of Jupiter's moons with a focus on Europa, Ganymede and Jupiter's magnetosphere.

What an exciting mission. Hopefully this will determine once and for all if there's life in Europa's ocean, and/or possibly Ganymede as well. I think the chances of life under Europa's surface are good. There's a lot of radiation around Jupiter but that thick layer of ice and water should protect anything living down there. Even if we do not find life there, it's sub-surface ocean could be very useful in future space colonization attempts.

 

[Smersh]

Absolutely Yuri. Europa and Ganymede in my opinion should be top of the list for exploration by the next space probes in my opinion and for the very reasons you gave. It's a pity if we have to wait until 2020 for the launch though.

 

[RVHM]

One of them is supposed to be carrying a cryobot.

 

[alpha_centauri]

Not this time round,

http://opfm.jpl.nasa.gov/europajupiters ... ssionejsm/

Understand the formation of surface features, including sites of recent or current activity, and identify and characterize candidate sites for future in situ exploration.

Apparently Russia is proposing one but that's not yet formally part of the mission, and tbh probably won't happen.

 

[Yuri_Armstrong]

Not this time round,

http://opfm.jpl.nasa.gov/europajupiters ... ssionejsm/

Understand the formation of surface features, including sites of recent or current activity, and identify and characterize candidate sites for future in situ exploration.

Apparently Russia is proposing one but that's not yet formally part of the mission, and tbh probably won't happen.

Do you have any details on the likelihood of Russia's involvement?

One of them is supposed to be carrying a cryobot.

Yes, that is one of the most interesting aspects of the mission. I sincerely hope that they get this done on the EJSM instead of waiting for the next probe we send there to attach it.

NASA is developing technology which aims to directly explore the ocean beneath Europa's ice. In 2002 a melt probe (cryobot) successfully undertook trials in Norway, and melted down 23 m into a deep glacial lake. Once the cryobot has passed the 10–100 km ice shell, it would reach water and release an autonomous underwater vehicle (hydrobot) to gather information and send it back to Earth. Both the cryobot and the hydrobot would have to undergo some form of extreme sterilization to prevent detection of Earth organisms instead of native life and to prevent contamination of the subsurface ocean. There is also the possibility of sending a television feed back to Earth as new cameras and technology are being developed that can withstand radiation. NASA's new prototype sub-marine designed for searching Europa's ocean's is called ENDURANCE and is currently undergoing testing in Lake Bonney, Antarctica

.

 

[alpha_centauri]

Do you have any details on the likelihood of Russia's involvement?

Nope, this is still all up in the air and undergoing study. Of course Russia could just do it independently, but then there is the question of funding. But the fact is I'm sure NASA isn't going to be happy if they're pipped to landing a major cryobot after all the effort they've invested in developing one. So if it happens the Russian lander probably won't be that capable, and indeed the proposal as stated wasn't for a lander as capable as cryobot.

One of them is supposed to be carrying a cryobot.

Yes, that is one of the most interesting aspects of the mission. I sincerely hope that they get this done on the EJSM instead of waiting for the next probe we send there to attach it.

The cryobot is not part of the baseline (NASA/ESA) mission as has been agreed so far, indeed look at the specs on the JPL website I posted. Be careful what you read on wikipedia, in fact to be fair the article doesn't actually make that mistake, it's just discussing a related development.



Frankly until the ice/water layers are much better characterised (a main objective of EJSM), developing a cryobot mission is a bit of risk anyway.

 

[Yuri_Armstrong]

Do you have any details on the likelihood of Russia's involvement?

Nope, this is still all up in the air and undergoing study. Of course Russia could just do it independently, but then there is the question of funding. But the fact is I'm sure NASA isn't going to be happy if they're pipped to landing a major cryobot after all the effort they've invested in developing one. So if it happens the Russian lander probably won't be that capable, and indeed the proposal as stated wasn't for a lander as capable as cryobot.

One of them is supposed to be carrying a cryobot.

Yes, that is one of the most interesting aspects of the mission. I sincerely hope that they get this done on the EJSM instead of waiting for the next probe we send there to attach it.

The cryobot is not part of the baseline (NASA/ESA) mission as has been agreed so far, indeed look at the specs on the JPL website I posted. Be careful what you read on wikipedia, in fact to be fair the article doesn't actually make that mistake, it's just discussing a related development.



Frankly until the ice/water layers are much better characterised (a main objective of EJSM), developing a cryobot mission is a bit of risk anyway.

Don't we know beyond a reasonable doubt it has a subsurface ocean though?

 

[alpha_centauri]

Well, I wouldn't say beyond doubt but the evidence does suggest that at least there is a layer of moving conductor; rotation, conductivity etc.

But other than that we really know nothing about it, for example how thick the layer is, whether it actually is liquid and importantly how thick the icy crust above it is. Much of what you may read about it are purely models and educated guesses based primarily on Galileo's limited measurements, we don't "know" much of it with any great confidence. But these considerations are vital to the design of a potential cryobot. Without knowing more about precisely what such a mission would have to do, we wouldn't get the most out of it anyway.

 

[orienteer]

NASA is developing technology which aims to directly explore the ocean beneath Europa's ice. In 2002 a melt probe (cryobot) successfully undertook trials in Norway, and melted down 23 m into a deep glacial lake.

Do you know how long it took to dig (melt) that far? i am thinking about MER and Huygens, all of which could only send a signal to a relay orbiter. When the orbiter is orbiting the planet instead of the moon, it is a long time before the second pass comes around.

 

[3488]

Hi orienteer,

IIRC the MERs do have direct to Earth capabilities, but the rate of data return would be much slower & of course they could only communicate whilst that part of Mars was facing Earth.

Phoenix Mars Lander could only communicate through orbiters & did use all three, the NASA MRO & MO as well as the ESA Mars Express. Originally Phoenix Mars Lander DID have the direct to Earth ability, but as a weight & power saving option (PHX was the original Mars Surveyor 2001 lander, due to land in Merdiani Planum, not that far from where MER B Opportunity is now located, but instead was sent to Scandia Colles in the Martian Arctic) the High Gain Antenna was removed & could only use the Bent Pipe method.

Hi everyone, Now back to the EJSM.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C84cYlHzn4[/youtube]

Prior to Europa Orbital Insertion, ESJM will encounter the volcanic moon Io four times.

Article on Jason Perry's Gish Bar Times.

I hope to be involved in the observation planning phase as an interested outsider.

Just though I would put this in.

Video below made by Jason Perry.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRpSgmgfCes[/youtube]

Hopefully EJSM will encounter at least one main belt asteroid & possibly one or more of Jupiter's far flung moons on the inbound trajectory. EJSM will encounter the fascinating volcanic moon Io four times (Io BTW has TWICE Europa's mass, Io = 1.22 Moon mass & Europa = 0.67 Moon Mass).

Also EJSM will observe Jupiter itself very extensively, particularly prior to EOI & further Io observations will be undertaken periodically even after Europa Orbital Insertion.

Andrew Brown.

 

[david2371]

While we have the technology to do a europa cryobot mission today, there lacks the political will to spend the kind of money that would be required to successfully conduct such a mission. I've listed some likely requirements below

*a 100+ ton to LEO launch vehicle due to the fact that certain high weight components can not be practically assembled in orbit.

Orbiter requirements:

* Nuclear fission reactor(most likely based on a naval design)
* an Ice penetrating radar(these require enormous amounts of power and is one reason a nuclear reactor is required)
* Extremely heavy radiation shielding(europa's orbit is in a particularly high radiation region and it will likely have to spend years there)
*high bandwidth communications system
*ion propulsion system for orbital adjustment and station keeping(the nuclear reactor already being present makes these an attractive substitute to hydrazine thrusters)

Lander requirements

*Nuclear fission reactor (identical to orbiter)
*high strength and highly conductive umbilical to provide the massive amounts of power to the melt probe(and also relay communications from the cryobot to the surface)
*ability to manoeuvre during landing to avoid unsuitable terrain features
*heavy radiation shielding (same reasons as orbiter)

Cryobot requirements

*nuclear fission reactor(if we're going to make the effort to get down there, let's give it some endurance)
*multi frequency sonar
* EXTREMELY SENSITIVE instrument package with an emphasis on biological systems
* high intensity lighting system
*visible light, IR and UV imaging system
* Ability to send information to melt probe to be sent to lander



All of this technology is available today(we could build a 100+ ton launch vehicle if we would stop bickering over the details, and we've already built compact nuclear fission reactors). Unfortunately unless there is a huge change in how the government looks at spending on space exploration, or the costs of the above components and capabilities comes way down(a mission like this done today would probably cost well over $10 billion), we likely wont be seeing any images from under the ice of europa until the second half of this century.

 

[3488]

Welcome to SDC david2371.

Just to say, the type of mission you are proposing assumes that Europa actually has a subsurface ocean.

It is theory only based on a few images & magnetometer readings. It is very far from certain at the moment. Large diapirs (convecting 'warmer' ice) can also produce the surface features seen on Europa.

A lander would be extremely useful, instruments including:

1). high res multispectral pancam.

2). Microscopic imager on an instrument lander arm,. not too unlike those on the MERs.

3). 360 deg tilt meter.

4). Seismometer.

5). Ice penetrating radar on the base of the lander.

6). Instrumented mole that can burrow through solid ice to a great depth.

This lander would need to be nuclear fission powered or at least a powerful RTG.

In fact I would love to send clones of this lander to Ganymede & Callisto too, with a customized one for Io.

Just my tuppence worth.

Andrew Brown.

 

[david2371]

Thanks for the welcome 3488 long time reader. My proposal was based on the assumption that a subsurface ocean was found (assuming one was found by a previous lander,such as the intriguing one you have described,which is also an ambitious undertaking). Either way,I hope we don't have to wait decades to find out.