Topic 2 Response to 2025 NASA DARES RFI Jonathan Morgan, NASA Ames Research Center (ARC-TSM)Peter Marshall, NASA Ames Research Center (ARC-TSM) The two kinds of science missions that support Astrobiology […]
lander
Posted inEnceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Early Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Development of the Microfluidic Inorganic Conductivity Detector for Europa and the Solenoid-Based Actuator Assembly for Impact Penetrators
This study introduces an innovative in situ lander/impact-penetrator design tailored for Discovery-class missions to Europa, specifically focused on conducting astrobiological analyses.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Missions & Hardware, NASA Astrobiology Program, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Titan, Tricorders & Sensors
Dragonfly Astrobiology Mission To Titan Can Proceed With Final Mission Design Work
NASA’s Dragonfly mission has been authorized to proceed with work on final mission design and fabrication – known as Phase C – during fiscal year (FY) 2024. The agency is […]
![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.