As astrophysics technology and research continue to advance, one question persists: is there life elsewhere in the universe? The Milky Way galaxy alone has hundreds of billions of celestial bodies, […]
Europa
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
NASA Studies Cryobots To Explore Ocean Worlds
In February 2023, researchers from around the country gathered at a NASA-sponsored workshop to discuss the latest developments and a roadmap for a cryobot mission concept to drill through the […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Investigating Europa’s Habitability with the Europa Clipper
Jupiter’s moon Europa is one the most promising candidates for hosting life today among ocean worlds in the solar system.
Posted inCallisto, Europa, Ganymede, Gas Giants, Icy Worlds, Io, Jupiter, Press Release
Video: The Making of Juice: The Film
One giant planet. Three icy moons. An eight-year journey. One special spacecraft.
![Evolution of the compaction coefficient λ(η, t) with the ice viscosity and the compaction time. The average ice compaction coefficient measured on Earth is given by the yellow line λ = 5.5 × 10−6 Pa−1 . Black square represents the location of the Antarctica A2 dataset in this graph, estimated from the local accumulation rate of snow. White square represents our scenario for Europa, where the compaction time is taken to be the ice crust age and for a viscosity of η = 1021 Pa s [23]. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GravityInducedIce.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Icy Worlds, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
Gravity-Induced Ice Compaction and Subsurface Porosity on Icy Moons
Our understanding of the surface porosity of icy moons and its evolution with depth remains limited, including the precise scale at which ice compaction occurs under self-weight pressure.
Posted inEuropa, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
Testing Hardware For Potential Future Astrobiology Mission Landing On Europa
On Aug. 17 and 18, 2023, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California tested the landing system for a proposed future mission that would touch down on Jupiter’s […]
Posted inCallisto, Europa, Ganymede, Gas Giants, Icy Worlds, Io, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Juice Spacecraft Makes Earth-Moon Flyby On Its Astrobiology-Themed Mission
On 17 November 2023, ESA’s Juice spacecraft carried out one of the largest and most important manoeuvres in its eight-year journey to Jupiter.
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Europa, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Status Report
Feature Extraction And Classification From Planetary Science Datasets Enabled By Machine Learning
In this paper we present two examples of recent investigations that we have undertaken, applying Machine Learning (ML) neural networks (NN) to image datasets from outer planet missions to achieve […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Salts and Organics Observed on Ganymede’s Surface
Data collected by NASA’s Juno mission indicates a briny past may be bubbling to the surface on Jupiter’s largest moon.
Posted inEducation and Outreach, Europa, Status Report
Message In A Bottle: Send Your Name To Europa
Join the mission and have your name engraved on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft as it travels 1.8 billion miles to explore Europa, an ocean world that may support life.