Nasa To Hold Press Conference Over Evidence Of "Surprising Activity On Europa

Incubus

Incubus

Champion Elect
They' re keeping schtum about it but some of the tabloid press have already gone into overdrive.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...-on-evidence-of-surprising-activity-on-europa

Europa has long been regarded by many as the Solar System' s most likely candidate (or least unlikely depending on your point of view) for alien life because of the likelyhood of a vast liquid water ocean underneath its icy crust so what discoveries lie in store we can only guess.

The cynic in me would suggest the media fanfare might have more than a touch of public funds appeal about itbut we' ll see. There wwas an unconfirmed detection of a jet spewing out of Europa' s southern pole in 2012, which hasn't occurred since. Maybe the big news is simply to do with more jets spewing out meaning there might be no need after all to drill onto Europa's surface, as has been planned for some time, since sub-surface material might already be shooting out of the moon' s interior and therefore more easily accessible without having to actually drill deep into its surface?
 
That or seismic movement, plate/ice tectonics. Something of the sort. Unless they have discovered little green men shopping at a Supermarket.
:twisted:
 
It will be dull. You have to admire their PR department though. Media frenzy, everyone loves a major announcement with a 5 day wait for it, even if it is just 'we've seen an ice geiser'
 
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Incubus said:
Maybe the big news is simply to do with more jets spewing out ...?
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Bang on. In particular there's one further north, away from the southern polar jets that may be better suited to exploration, apparently, I think, if I remember what I read two hours ago.
 
I suspect you can Incubus the 'triple point of water' is a fascinating thing.

It is interesting that they can maybe just park a lander under one of these jets and examine the snow that falls on it.
Still seems a bit of a cop out though. I do want a digging probe to actually get into the ocean below the ice. the price difference between the 2 concepts can't be that much, the main cost is getting there.
 
They haven't said they weren't going to do that anyway though...

When you thnk about it they must have known when they announced the date for the press confeence that it was going to generate huge wordwide media interest. They must have known the A-word was going to be splattered all over the front-pages.
If it'd been just been about officially confirming the existance of water vapour plumes spewing out of Europa why couldn't they have just announced it right away?

To maximise media inedia interest of course. Polarise public opinion to put pressure on the US government into releasing more funds. Nasa are operating on an ever shrinking budget so they' re probably getting a bit nervous about future missions.
 
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