The goal of the Precursor Science Investigations for Europa (PSI-E) program is to further the understanding of critical topics in Europa exploration in advance of the Europa Clipper mission.
Europa
Posted inAstrochemistry, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Constraining Europa’s Subsolar Atmosphere With A Joint Analysis Of HST Spectral Images And Galileo Magnetic Field Data
We constrain Europa’s tenuous atmosphere on the subsolar hemisphere by combining two sets of observations: oxygen emissions at 1304 Å and 1356 Å from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spectral images, […]
Posted inArctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Europa, Icy Worlds, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Underwater Snow Gives Clues About Europa’s Icy Shell
Image: Mounds of snow-like frazil ice under the Antarctic ice shelf. According to research from UT Austin, Europa’s ice shell could be made of the same stuff. © Helen Glazer […]
Posted inEuropa, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Europa Clipper Spacecraft Kicks Assembly Into High Gear
Engineers and technicians use a crane to lift the core of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft in the High Bay 1 clean room of JPL’s Spacecraft Assembly Facility. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
VIS spectroscopy of NaCl-water ice mixtures irradiated with 1 and 5 keV electrons under Europa_s conditions: Formation of colour centres and Na colloids
Recent laboratory efforts and telescopic observations of Europa have shown the relevance of a yellow colouration of sodium chloride (NaCl) caused by crystal defects generated by irradiation. We further investigate […]
Posted inIcy Worlds
Different Ice Shell Geometries On Europa And Enceladus Due To Their Different Ssizes: Impacts Of Ocean Heat Transport
On icy worlds, the ice shell and subsurface ocean form a coupled system — heat and salinity flux from the ice shell induced by the ice thickness gradient drives circulation […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Sulfur Residue Mapped On Europa
A Southwest Research Institute-led team used the Hubble Space Telescope to observe Jupiter’s moon, Europa, at ultraviolet wavelengths, filling in a “gap” in the various wavelengths used to observe this […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Press Release
The Formation Of Abundant Features On Europa Bodes Well For The Search For Extraterrestrial Life
Europa is a prime candidate for life in our solar system, and its deep saltwater ocean has captivated scientists for decades. But it’s enclosed by an icy shell that could […]
Posted inEuropa, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Science Goals and Mission Architecture of the Europa Lander Mission Concept
Europa is a premier target for advancing both planetary science and astrobiology, as well as for opening a new window into the burgeoning field of comparative oceanography. The potentially habitable […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Icy Worlds, Press Release
On Europa Chaos Terrains Could Be Shuttling Oxygen To An Ocean
Salt water within the icy shell of Jupiter’s moon Europa could be transporting oxygen into an ice-covered ocean of liquid water where it could potentially help sustain alien life, according […]