NASA Seeking Ideas for Ocean Jupiter Moon Mission


Image NASA Jupiter and its Moon Europa in visible light with added Hubble ultraviolet image of water plumes.

Go for the Moon…of Jupiter. Local press of Latin America began to echo a request of NASA for information for creative ideas for a new mission. NASA is on the search for innovative ideas for its exploration of the moon of Jupiter Europa. The mission -with under 1 billion USD in budget seeks to explore the Ocean of the distant moon and science its environment.

Press reported that NASA is determined and focused on sending a mission to Europa -known to home a deep mysterious ocean. The environment has been signaled out for its potential of hosting alien forms of life, or perhaps not so alien at all.

The Official Request for Information RFI is directed to scientists and engineers. These are encouraged to throw in their best innovative ideas for the mission. The best ideas which consider budget limitations are among those that will be given serious thought by NASA. Cost of the mission is set at 1 billion USD and that does not include the launching rocket.

It is not strange for NASA to issue Request for Information of ideas or to turn to the civil and scientific international society for ideas in project making. The history of Space exploration has been closely linked to cooperation programs between NASA and several thousands of companies, organizations and even common workers. NASA opened gates for cooperation under public tenders and has hired specialized workers at times. Some of the most noteworthy examples of NASA cooperation include but are not limited to, to for example the creation, design and construction of the first Space Suit and even the Roving Loon Vehicle which took to driving on the surface of the Moon.

“It is an opportunity to listen to all those creative teams which have ideas on how we could obtain the greatest amount of science at the minimum cost,” John Grunsfeld NASA Administrative explained.

When it comes to vast Ocean exploration and considering the space limitations existing in Space Vehicles for “gear” or technology transportation perhaps one of the best ideas would be to transport to Europa not one robot but dozens or hundreds of smaller robots which could enter the ocean surface of the Moon and expand in multiple directions. To the date one thing is certain the eyes and ears exploring the moon of Jupiter will be human but direct contact will be made with robots.

“The idea of exploration Europa has stimulated not only the scientific interest but also the creativity of engineers and scientists with novelty concepts,” NASA stated.

NASA has used in the past exploration of similar environments when preparing technology for missions. The ocean of Europa, Jupiter moon is about 62 miles deep covers the entire moon, 10 times deeper the Ocean on Earth, has massive tidal pulls and ice sheets cover the top surface with hydrothermal vents below. Even a water geyser has been discovered by Hubble which can not only shoot up more than 124 miles but proves that water below the ice can find its way to the surface and therefore proves interaction between underwater environment and ice-surface.

Similar environments on Earth´s Oceans do not exist but can either be replicated in laboratories or inspired in environments such as the Artic and Antarctic Ocean. Biological forms of life living in the these environment could not only serve as inspiration of what type of life could live in Europa but could provide priceless blue prints for bio-mimetical technology, technology inspired by biological organisms. Artic and Antarctic environments home numerous mammals, sea lions, whales, beluga whales, and perhaps the most interesting smaller organisms such as Krill and smaller Protists or microorganisms.

NASA says Must Dos of the mission to Europa included the “characterization of the extent of the ocean and its relation to the deeper interior, the characterization of the ice shell and any subsurface water, including their heterogeneity, and the nature of surface-ice-ocean exchange”, among other things.

Any mission to Europa must take into account the harsh radiation environment that would require unique protection of the spacecraft and instruments. In addition, spacecraft must meet planetary protection requirements intended to protect Europa’s potentially habitable ocean.

Ocean Life News in Brief

Ocean Level Increase Dropping Oceans Floor: International Press reported on December 5 on the findings of new research which assures that due to ocean level increase the ocean floor is sinking. The study published online in Geophysical Research Levels used mathematical equations to accurately measure the Ocean's floor impact driven by the increased of water volume weight. Using data from 1993 to 2014 researchers found that ocean level increase is causing the Ocean floor to drop globally by the milimeters. Ocean Dead Zones Up By Four: On January 8 New York Daily reported that Ocean Dead Zones have quadrupled.Researchers warned in a new study that oxygen-starved ocean dead zones, where animals and plants are struggling to survive, have increased fourfold and it may not be reversible. The new study was published in the Journal Science. The increase of Dead Zones was linked to climate change. La Niña´s Polar Wave Hitting Hard the US -Freezing Oceans: International Press reported on the Polar Wave hitting hard the US. The event is linked by experts to the influence of La Niña. “For the past couple of weeks, parts of North America have been chilling down to record temperatures, with massive snowfall and icy cold conditions putting life at a standstill for many,” media reported. The US East Coast has been particularly badly hit with the likes of Boston down to Philadelphia reaching bone-chilling lows of near 0°F , with icy winds making it feel closer to around -10°F to -20°F. Officially 18 were dead and 100 million affected. Government of Bali Declares a Garbage Emergency: On January 5 Ocean Conservancy reported on a New Waste Management Emergency in Bali. Massive amounts of ocean debri are affecting the island. The situation has reached its peak as the Government of Bali declared a “Garbage Emergency”. Clean up works have began. “Ivory Coast Village Swallowed by Ocean Increase,” Aljazeera Reports: On January 8 Al Jazeera reported that ocean increase levels are affecting infrastructure in the Ivory Coast. “Rising tides and more frequent, devastating storms are slowly destroying what is left of Lahou-Kpanda, the offshoot of what was once a major colonial town near the mouth of the Bandama River, the longest river in Ivory Coast,” Al Jazeera reported. Arctic Ocean Radioactive Levels on the Rise: IFL Science reported on January 3 on the findings of new report which assures that radioactive levels in the Arctic Ocean are on the rise. “Concentrations of radioactive radium-228 in the Arctic Ocean increased between 2007 and 2015,” the report reads. While levels have not yet reached a mark of concern the trend is worries experts. Lauren Kipp of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution addressed the issue. New World Wide Ocean Turtle Study Says 90% of Plastic Pollution Cases Result in Death: Earth Sky Org reported on January 7 that hundreds of marine turtles die every year after getting tangled in trash in oceans and on beaches. A research published in the journal Endangered Species Research took on a World-Wide Survey covering the major oceans where turtles live. They discovered that 91 % of the entangled turtles were found dead. They also suffered serious wounds from entanglement, leading to maiming, amputation or choking. Double Whirlpools Discovered for First Time: December 4 Press reported that Double Eddies have been registered for the first time in History. Tangled up Double Eddies can travel great distances affecting ecology significantly. Eddies are a natural part of the ocean environment but double whirlpools had only been theorized by mathematicians.