TODAY, WE HAVE NOT ONE, BUT TWO
SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS FOR YOU
ABOUT OCEANS BEYOND EARTH.
WE WILL BE GOING COAST TO COAST
AND OCEAN TO OCEAN TO TALK TO
EXPERTS STARTING FROM PEOPLE
RIGHT HERE IN WASHINGTON D.C.
AND THEN ALSO GOING ALL THE WAY
TO THE WEST COAST TO TALK TO
NASA'S JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.
AND THEN, WE WILL GO ALL THE WAY
TO THE EAST COAST TO TALK TO
NASA'S GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT
CENTER IN GREENBELT, MARYLAND.
TODAY'SPAN LISTS ARE THOMAS
ZURBUCHEN, ASSOCIATE
ADMINISTRATOR FOR TO THE SCIENCE
MISSION DIRECTORATE, MARY, LEAD
SCIENTIST FOR NASA'S ASTRO
BIOLOGY PROGRAM.
THE ALISTS AT J.P.L. IN
CALIFORNIA ARE LINDA SPILKER,
PROJECT SCIENTIST, HUNTER WAITE,
THE IMMS TEAM LEAD WITH THE
SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE IN
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
CHRIS GLINE, THE INMS TEAM
ASSOCIATE.
AND, JOINING US FROM GODDARD IN
MARYLAND, WILLIAM SPARKS,
ASTRONOMER AND LEAD AUTHOR OF
THE HUBBLE FINDINGS.
THE NEWS TODAY CAN BE FOUND AT
NASA .GOV AND ALSO THE FOLLOWING
WEB PAGES.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK
QUESTIONS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA,
PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG ASK NASA.
WITH THAT, THOMAS, CAN YOU KICK
US OFF.
>> THANKS SO MUCH, FELICIA.
IT'S ANOTHER GREAT DAY OF
SCIENCE AT NASA.
WE FOCUS ON THREE OBJECTIVES.
THE FIRST ONE IS TO UNDERSTAND
AND TO IMPROVE LIFE ON EARTH.
WE ALSO DO FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH
FROM HERE TO THE DEPTHS OF THE
UNIVERSE AND UNDERSTAND
PROCESSES WE HAVE NEVER
UNDERSTOOD BEFORE AND, THE THIRD
TOPIC IS ONE THAT THIS IS ALL
ABOUT, WHICH IS ABOUT A
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION THAT HAS --
HAS FAILED THE THINKS OF SO MANY
IN THE PAST AND WE CAN ANSWER
NOW, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEAR
FUTURE AND THAT IS -- IS THERE
LIFE ELSEWHERE?
HERE ON EARTH THERE'S A NUMBER
OF THINGS THAT HELP LIFE.
THERE'S WATER IN A LIQUID FORM.
WE HAVE AN ATMOSPHERE, A
MAGNETIC FIELD THAT PROTECTS US
FROM THE HAZARDS OF SPACE.
THERE'S MANY THINGS WE HAVE
GOING FOR OUR SELF.
SO, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER
THERE IS LIFE OUT THERE RELATES
TO QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE MAKING
PROGRESS WITH ALL THE TIME AND
QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE, NEW
QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMING
FORWARD WE DON'T KNOW YET.
WHETHER THERE IS LIFE OUT THERE.
BUT, RIGHT NOW WE ARE MAKING A
LOT OF PROGRESS ESPECIALLY THE
OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM.
SO, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT TODAY'S
STORIES ARE ALL ABOUT.
WITH THIS RESEARCH, WE ARE
MAKING A BIG STEP FORWARD TOWARD
ANSWERING THE QUESTION -- IS
THERE LIFE OUT THERE?
AND WITH THAT, I AM TURNING IT
OVER TO THE TEAM.
>> THANK YOU, THOMAS.
SO, NASA STRATEGY FOR SEARCHING
FOR LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE BEGINS
AT HOME WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF
HOW LIFE EMERGED AND EVOLVED
HERE ON EARTH AND WHAT THE
LIMITS TO LIFE ARE ON THIS
PLANET.
WE THEN PROJECT THAT OUT ON TO
OTHER PLACES IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND HABITABLE
ENVIRONMENTS THAT CAN SUPPORT
LIFE AS WE KNOW IT.
40 YEARS AGO, NASA SENT TWO
VIKING LANDERS TO MARS TO LOOK
FOR EVIDENCE OF LIFE ON THE RED
PLANET.
AT THE SAME TIME, OCEANOGRAPHERS
HERE ON THIS PLANET, ON EARTH,
WERE EXPLORING THE LAST
FRONTIER.
THE DEEP OCEAN.
AND DURING THAT EXPLORATION,
THEY FOUND AN ASTONISH -- OR
MADE AN ASTONISHING DISCOVERY
THAT CHANGED HOW WE THOUGHT
ABOUT EARTH AND HOW WE THOUGHT
ABOUT LIFE HERE ON EARTH AND
THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE OASIS OF
LIFE SUPPORTED THOUSANDS OF
METERS BENEATH THE SURFACE OF
THE OCEAN FAR AWAY FROM SUNLIGHT
AND IT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE
ENERGY PRODUCED BY HYDROTHERMAL
ACTIVITY.
NOW THIS DISCOVERY WAS
INCREDIBLE FOR HERE ON EARTH.
IT LED TO INVESTIGATIONS OF MANY
OTHER EVENTS, HUNDREDS OF
EVENTS, WHICH IS ONLY A TINY
PORTION OF THE NUMBER OF EVENTS
THAT MUST BE ACTIVE HERE ON
EARTH BUT IT POINTED OUT A NEW
TYPE OF BIOLOGY SUPPORTED BY
CHEMISTRY THAT DIDN'T REQUIRE
SUNLIGHT, WHICH MEANT THAT WE
COULD EXTEND OUR HABITABLE
ENVIRONMENT WELL BEYOND THE
REACH OF OUR SUN.
OUT INTO THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM.
OUT TO THE MOONS OF SATURN AND
JUPITER.
AS WE IMAGINE ENVIRONMENTS VERY
MUCH LIKE OUR OWN HYDROTHERMAL
EVENTS HERE ON EARTH COULD EXIST
OUT THERE.
SO TODAY'S DISCOVERIES HAVE TO
DO WITH OCEAN WORLDS BEYOND OUR
OWN PLANET AND JIM'S GOING TO
TELL YOU ABOUT THE MISSIONS THAT
BROUGHT THIS TO US.
>> IT REALLY BEGAN IN THE LATE
1990s WITH THE MISSION
GALLILEO.
GALLILEO ORBITING JUPITER WAS
FLYING BY THE INDIVIDUAL MOONS,
THE GALLILAND MOONS, MAKING
OBSERVATIONS IN THE ATMOSPHERE,
MANY MANY THINGS IN THAT SOLAR
SYSTEM.
THAT MINI SOLAR SYSTEM.
WHAT IT DISCOVERED FROM ITS
MAGNETOMETERS, IT FLEW REALLY
CLOSE TO EUROPEA, WAS A MAGNETIC
SIGNATURE THAT'S VERY FAMILIAR
WITH OUR SCIENTISTS BECAUSE WE
INTERPRET IT AS A CURRENT WITHIN
AN OCEAN UNDERNEATH AN ICE
SHELF.
IN 2005, CASIMI, ORBITING
SATURN, FLYING BY THE MOONS OF
SATURN, WITH CLOSE FLY BYES OF
INSOLIDUS, IT OBSERVED HUGE
PLUMES OF WATER EMANATING FROM
CRACKS.
WE NOW BELIEVE THAT INSOLIDUS
ALSO HAS A HUGE OCEAN.
WE CALL THESE BODIES AND MANY
OTHERS THAT ARE LIKE THEM --
OCEAN WORLDS.
THEY ARE PROTECTED BY AN ICE
SHELL MUCH LIKE OUR ATMOSPHERE
PROTECTS US, OUR LIFE HERE ON
EARTH AND OUR OCEAN MAINTAINING
ITS LIQUID.
THIS IS TRULY AN EXCITING TIME
FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROBE THOSE
AND REALLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THESE OCEAN
WORLDS.
WHAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT TODAY
ARE TWO REALLY WONDERFUL
DISCOVERIES CONTINUING BACK TO
CASINI WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE
OF THE MAJOR MISSIONS THAT WE
HAVE MAKING HUGE NUMBER OF
DISCOVERIES AND WE WILL TALK
ABOUT INSOLIDUS AND WHAT IT'S
FOUND OUT.
WE WILL ALSO TALK ABOUT HUBBLE
OBSERVATIONS BACK TO EUROPEA.
THESE TWO OCEAN WORLDS WE ARE
GOING TO LINK TOGETHER BECAUSE
THEY ARE SO SIMILAR IN MANY,
MANY WAYS THAT I HOPE YOU WILL
SEE AS WE GO THROUGH OUR
DISCOVERIES TODAY.
SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S
GO TO J.P.L. AND TALK TO LINDA
SPILKER.
LINDA, WHAT'S CASINI BEEN
OBSERVING?
>> WELL IT'S BEEN IN ORBIT
AROUND SATURN FOR ALMOST 13
YEARS AND OUR UNEXPECTED
DISCOVERIES ABOUT INSOLIDUS HAVE
BEEN SOME OF THE MOST
SURPRISING.
TODAY WE ARE PUBLISHING A PAPER
ABOUT OUR RESENT FINDINGS BY
CASINI ON INSOLIDUS.
WE DISCOVERED HYDROGEN COMING
FROM A HYDROTHERMAL VENT ON THE
SEA FLOOR GOING OUT INTO SPACE
THROUGH THE PLUME.
SO THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT
FINDING BECAUSE THE HYDROGENERAL
COULD BE A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF
CHEMICAL ENERGY FOR ANY MICROBES
THAT COULD BE IN INSOLIDUS
OCEAN.
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT FINDING.
INSOLIDUS IS TOO SMALL TO RETAIN
THE HYDROGEN WHEN IT FORMED.
THE HYDROGEN GAS WE SEE IS
COMING FROM INSIDE INSOLIDUS.
LET'S TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT SOME
OF CASINI'S FIRST FINDINGS.
THIS IS A VIEW OF THE SOUTH POLE
OF INSOLIDUS AND THE GEYSERS ARE
COMING FROM THOSE TIGER STRIPES,
THOSE BLUISH FRACTURES THAT YOU
CAN SEE.
IN THE NEXT PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE
THE JETS SHOOTING OUT INTO SPACE
FORMING THE GIANT PLUME AROUND
INSOLIDUS.
UNDERNEATH THAT ICY CRUST AS JIM
SAID IS A GLOBAL OCEAN.
THAT GLOBAL OCEAN SITS ON TOP OF
A ROCKY CORE.
AND, SOME OF CASINI'S FINDINGS
POINTED TO HYDROTHERMAL VENTS,
BASICALLY HOT WATER COMING OUT
AFTER IT'S BEEN MIXED WITH THE
ROCKY CORE AND THIS FINAL IMAGE
SHOWS A THERMAL MAP.
THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SOUTH
POLE.
WE CAN SEE THE WARMEST
TEMPERATURES WITH THE YELLOW AND
RED ARE RIGHT ALONG THE TIGER
STRIPE FRACTURES.
SO, WHAT'S NEW TODAY?
THE NEW FINDING IS FINDING
HYDROGEN COMING FROM THE PLUME
OF INSOLIDUS AND THE FACT THAT
IT COULD SUPPORT, POTENTIALLY,
MICROBES WITH ENERGY ON THE SEA
FLOOR OF INSOLIDUS.
NOW, THIS FINDING IS THE RESULT
OF 12 YEARS OF CASINI
INVESTIGATION.
AND IT REALLY REPRESENTS A
CAPSTONE FINDING FOR THE
MISSION.
BECAUSE WE NOW KNOW THAT
INSOLIDUS HAS ALMOST ALL OF THE
INGREDIENTS THAT YOU WOULD NEED
TO SUPPORT LIFE AS WE KNOW IT ON
EARTH.
WELL, HERE I HAVE A MODEL OF THE
CASINI SPACE CRAFT AND HUNTER,
MAYBE YOU CAN SHOW US WHERE YOUR
INSTRUMENT IS THAT DETECTED THE
HYDROGEN.
>> YES, LINDA.
THE INSTRUMENT, THE ION
SPECTROMETER SITTING ON THE
PLATFORM RIGHT HERE, IT DIRECTLY
SAMPLES THE GAS THAT COMES IN AS
WE FLY THROUGH THE PLUME.
AS OPPOSED TO AN ULTRAVIOLET
SPECTROMETER OR INTRA VIOLET
SPECTROMETER.
SO, THIS SAMPLING IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT FOR DETECTING TRACE
SPECIES.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO, FROM
PREVIOUS FLY-BYES AND PREVIOUS
MEASUREMENTS, FIND OUT THAT THE
PLUME IS 98% WATER.
IT HAS TRACES OF AMMONIA, CARBON
DIOXIDE, AND METHANE, AS WELL AS
SOME ORGANICS.
NOW, THE PART THAT HAD BEEN
ELUSIVE TO US BEFORE WAS THE
HYDROGEN.
AND, SO LET ME BACK OFF HERE AND
PICK UP A SIMILAR MODEL.
WE HAVE A SIMULATION HERE OF
INSOLIDUS AND THE TIGER STRIPE.
AND SO, LET ME FLY MY SPACE
CRAFT WITH THE I.M.S. POINTED IN
THE DIRECTION OF MOTION OF THE
PLACE CRAFT THROUGH THE PLUME
MATERIAL SAMPLING THE GAS.
THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED WHEN WE
WERE MAKING THE MEASUREMENT.
IT WAS ABOUT EIGHT KILOMETERS
ABOVE THE SURFACE.
THIS HAPPENED IN OCTOBER OF
2015.
IT'S INTERESTING TO PUT THIS
TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER
MEASUREMENTS WE MADE OF THE
COMPOSITION TO TRY TO DRAW SOME
INFERENCES ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON
IN THE INTERIOR OF THE OCEAN.
BECAUSE THIS MATERIAL IS TELLING
US ABOUT COMPOSITION OF THE
OCEAN.
>> WELL HUNTER, WHAT WAS GOING
THROUGH YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU
LOOKED AT THE DATA AND YOU SAW
HYDROGEN?
>> WELL, OF COURSE WE WERE VERY
EXCITED BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN
PLANNING THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE
AND WE HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT
WHAT POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS MIGHT
BE.
SO, TO DISCUSS THAT, LET ME TURN
IT OVER TO CHRIS AND LET HIM
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
>> WILL LINDA, OUR TEAM
CONSIDERED NUMEROUS
POSSIBILITIES AND AFTER
PERFORMING DETAILED CHEMICAL
ANALYSIS, WE FOUND THAT THE BEST
EXPLANATION IS THE HYDROGEN IS
PRODUCED BY CHEMICAL REACTION
BETWEEN WARM WATER AND ROCK.
HERE'S A GRAPHIC SHOWING WHAT WE
THINK IS GOING ON.
WE THINK THAT HYDROTHERMAL
FLUIDS ARE CIRCULATING BELOW THE
OCEAN FLOOR ON INSOLIDUS.
THIS EXPOSES ROCK TO WARM WATER
WHICH DRIES GEO CHEMICAL
TRANSFORMATION.
AN IMPORTANT PROCESS THAT
PRODUCES HUGE AMOUNTS OF
HYDROGEN IS CALL ASKED
SERPENTINIZATION.
CERTAIN MINERALS THAT ARE RICH
IN IRON REACT WITH WATER TO FORM
NEW MINERALS AND HYDROGEN IS
PRODUCED.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT
SHOWS THAT THE GEOCHEMISTRY ACTS
ON INSOLIDUS.
IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE THINK
THAT THE WARM HYDROTHERMAL
FLUIDS CONTAIN DISSOLVED
MINERALS AND WHEN THESE MINERALS
MIX WITH THE OCEAN WATER WHICH
IS COLD, MINERAL PRECIPITATES
FORMAT THE SEA FLOOR.
THESE MINERAL PRECIPITATES ON
THE EARTH FORM WHITE SOLIDS SO
WE CALL THEM WHITE SMOKERS.
HERE'S A VIDEO SHOWING AN
EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THESE SYSTEMS
ON INSOLIDUS.
I MEAN ON THE EARTH.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THE SYSTEMS ON
INSOLIDUS LOOK LIKE THIS, BUT
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE FROM THE
EARTH.
THESE VENTS ON THE EARTH SUPPORT
TEAMING COMMUNITIES OF ORGANISMS
ANCHORED BY MICROBES THAT FIELD
ON CHEMICAL ENERGY RATHER THAN
SUNLIGHT.
AN IMPORTANT REACTION AT THE
BASE OF THE FOOD CHAIN IS CALLED
METHANA GENESIS.
THIS IS WHERE THEY COMBINE
HYDROGEN WITH CARBON DIOXIDE TO
FORM METHANE AND THEY GET A JOLT
OF ENERGY OUT OF THE PROCESS.
THEY USE IT TO SYNTHESIZE SOME
OF THE MOLECULES SUCH AS SUGAR
MOLECULES. WHAT IS INTRIGUING
ABOUT THE DATA AT INSOLIDUS WITH
THE HYDROGEN DETECTION IS THAT
WE ARE NOW ABLE TO DETERMINE HOW
MUCH ENERGY WOULD BE AVAILABLE
FROM THE METHANAGENERAL 'TIS
REACTION AT -- GENESIS REACTION.
THIS IS A KEY STEP TOWARD
UNDERSTANDING THE HABITABILITY
OF INSOLIDUS.
>> WELL CHRIS, DO YOU THINK
THERE COULD BE MICROBES OR EVEN
SHRIMP IN THE OCEAN ON
INSOLIDUS?
>> WELL THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL,
LINDA, BUT WE HAVEN'T DISCOVERED
ORGANISMS ON INSOLIDUS, BUT I AM
ENCOURAGED BY THE GEOCHEMICAL
DATA WHICH COULD ALLOW FOR THIS
POSSIBILITY.
>> WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WHEN CASINI WAS FIRST BUILT, WE
NEVER THOUGHT WE WOULD SEE AN
ACTIVE OCEAN WORLD LIKE
INSOLIDUS AT SATURN.
SO, CASINI CAN LOOK FOR
HABITABILITY BUT WE DON'T HAVE
THE INSTRUMENTS TO LOOK FOR
LIFE.
WE HAVE COME AS FAR AS WE CAN
GO.
WHAT REMAINS FOR A FUTURE
MISSION IS TO DETECT LIFE AT
INSOLIDUS.
AND THE CASINI TEAM IS SO
EXCITED ABOUT THESE NEW FINDINGS
AND SO MARY, WHY DON'T YOU PUT
THIS IN A BROADER CONTEXT FOR
US.
>> THANK YOU, LINDA.
WELL FIRST OF ALL, CHRIS, I
RECOGNIZE THAT FOOTAGE FROM ONE
OF THE NASA RESEARCHERS, CHRIS
GERMAN, EXPLORING THE EAST
PACIFIC RISE WHICH WAS ACTUALLY
A HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEM VERY CLOSE
TO THE ORIGINAL OBSERVATION 40
YEARS AGO AT THE GALLAPAGOS
RIFT.
WHILE WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE STRUCTURES ARE AND WE WON'T
KNOW UNTIL WE GET INTO THE
OCEANS, CERTAINLY THIS SUGGESTS
A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
HYDROTHERMAL ACTIVITY.
SUCH A STRONG SIGNAL OF
HYDROGEN.
AND THIS HYDROGEN IS A GOOD
SOURCE OF CHEMICAL ENERGY TO
SUPPORT LIFE.
NOW WHAT ELSE HAVE WE BEEN
THINKING ABOUT THAT LIFE NEEDS?
I HAVE A FIGURE HERE TO GO OVER
SORT OF THE TRIAD OF WHAT WE
NEED FOR LIFE.
SO CAN I HAVE THE FIGURE PLEASE?
SO OF COURSE YOU KNOW WE NEED
WATER.
AND HERE WE ARE AT OCEAN WORLDS.
SO, WE HAVE THE WATER.
WE NEED CHEMICAL ELEMENTS THAT
CAN MAKE THE BUILDING BLOCKS
THAT GO INTO MAKING CELLS AND
PROVIDE MOLECULES FOR
METABOLISM.
WE NEED CARBON, HYDROGEN,
NITROGEN, OXYGEN, PHOSPHORUS AND
SULFUR WHICH ARE DOWN IN THE
LOWER LEFT OF THE TRIANGLE.
HERE WE GET TO CHECK OFF ANOTHER
BOX.
WE HAVE FOUND ENERGY TO SUPPORT
LIFE.
HYDROGEN GASPRO VIVES THAT
ENERGY -- GAS PROVIDES THAT
ENERGY.
NOW WE NEED IT SEE IF INSOLIDUS
HAD ENOUGH TIME OR ANY OF THE
OTHER SYSTEMS IN THIS WORLD HAD
ENOUGH TIME TO EVOLVE LIFE AND
HAVE LIFE MAKE ITS IMPRINT ON
ITS OCEAN.
SO NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER
OBSERVATION THAT KIND OF
CONNECTS THE WORLDS AND IS
RELATED TO WHAT WE JUST HEARD
ABOUT AND JIM'S GOING TO TELL
YOU ABOUT THIS.
>> SO IN DEED, THE NEXT
DISCOVERY WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT,
WHICH IS ALSO COMING OUT THIS
WEEK IN OUR SCIENCE JOURNALS IS
FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE.
IT'S BEEN OBSERVING EUROPEA FOR
MANY YEARS.
SO, LET'S GO TO GODDARD SPACE
CENTER AND TALK TO WILLIAM
SPARKS.
BILL, GIVE US A LITTLE
BACKGROUND ON WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT
EUROPEA.
>> EUROPEA IS ONE OF THE FOUR
MAJOR MOONS OF JUPITER.
ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS OUR OWN
MOON BUT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT.
IT HAS A SMOOTH BRIGHT WHITE
SURFACE COVERED IN DARK
FRACTURES.
THE REASON FOR THAT AND WHAT
MAKES EUROPA SO INTERESTING IS
THAT IT'S THOUGHT TO BE ENGULFED
BY A GLOBAL OCEAN UNDER A THICK
CRUST OF ICE.
UNTIL FACT, IT'S GOT TWICE AS
MUCH OCEAN AS PLANET EARTH.
IF WE HAVE A SALTY OCEAN IN
CONTACT WITH A ROCKY CORE AND
ENERGY FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES
AS WE JUST HEARD FROM MARY, WE
HAVE MANY OF THE INGREDIENTS
THOUGHT TO BE NECESSARY FOR
LIFE.
>> YOUR OBSERVATIONS FROM
HUBBLE, WHAT ARE YOU NOW SEEING
THAT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF HABITABILITY ON
EUROPA?
>> IN 2014, WE USED THE HUBBLE
AND DETECTED EVIDENCE OF WHAT
ARE PROBABLY WATER VAPOR PLUMES
EMERGING FROM THE SURFACE OF
EUROPA.
THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT
COULD BE GIVING US ACCESS TO
SURFACE LIQUID WATER WITHOUT
HAVING TO DRILL THROUGH MILES OF
ICE.
IN 2016, THE NEW OBSERVATIONS
THAT WE ARE JUST PUBLISHING, WE
SAW SIMILAR CANDIDATE, ALMOST
IDENTICAL IN APPEARANCE AND AT
THE IDENTICAL LOCATION TO ONE OF
THE 2014 CANDIDATES.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN AN
INTERMITTENT PHENOMENON, TO
ESTABLISH REPEATABILITY.
IT GIVES US MORE FAITH IN THE
OBSERVATION.
THE OTHER THING IT ALLOWS US TO
DO GIVEN THE POSITION OF THE
CANDIDATE ON EUROPA IS TO LOOK
WITH MORE FIDELITY AT THAT
POSITION AND SEE WHAT ELSE WE
CAN FIND THERE.
IF WE JUST LOOK AT THE MAP OF
EUROPA, WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING
PARTICULARLY REMARKABLE ABOUT
THE EXACT LOCATION OF THIS PLUME
CANDIDATE SHOWN BY THE GREEN
ELIPSE.
BUT IF WE LOOK BACK TO THE
GALLILEO DATA, GALLILEO IN THE
1990s PUBLISHED A THERMAL
IMAGE.
RIGHT AT THE PEAK OF THE THERMAL
IMAGE, THAT'S WHERE THE PLUME
CANDIDATE IS.
THIS HOT SPOT ON THE SURFACE OF
EUROPA, ON THE EUROPA NIGHT
SIDE, WAS IDENTIFIED AT THE TIME
AS A THERMAL ANOMALY AND IT'S
SITTING RIGHT ON TOP OF THE
POSITION OF OUR PLUME CANDIDATE.
>> BILL, WOW.
THAT'S FANTASTIC.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN
GALLILEO WAS FLYING BY EUROPA
HOW THE OCEAN COULD POSSIBLY
COMMUNICATE WITH THE SURFACE.
AND NOW, THESE PLUMES THAT
HUBBLE MAY BE OBSERVING IS
GIVING US THAT TANTALIZING
GLIMPSE, SOMETHING THAT WE SEE
ON INSOLIDUS MAY BE GOING ON.
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW
THE PLUMES AND HOT SPOT MIGHT
RELATE TO EACH OTHER?
>> YES, IT'S REALLY INTRIGUING.
QUITE ASTONISHING IN FACT JUST
TO SEE THE COINCIDENCE OF THE
TWO.
BUT IT WASN'T AN ACCIDENT THAT
WE LOOKED FOR THE THERMAL
IMAGING.
WE DID IT TO FIND -- AS WE ALL
KNOW, THE PLUMES OF INSOLIDUS
ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A HEAT
SOURCE.
AND ITS VERY DISTINCTIVE
SIGNATURE.
WE LOOKED TO SEE IF WE COULD
FIND THERMAL IMAGING OF THE
SURFACE OF EUROPA.
AND WE DID.
THE PEAK HOTTEST SPOT ON THE
NIGHT SIDE WAS RIGHT WHERE OUR
PLUME CANDIDATE WAS.
THERE ARE TWO POSSIBLE
EXPLANATIONS FOR A CAUSAL
CONNECTION.
OBVIOUSLY COINCIDENCES CAN JUST
OCCUR BUT THERE ARE INSTANCES TO
THINK THERE'S A CAUSAL
RELATIONSHIP.
ONE POSSIBILITY IS IF THERE'S
LIQUID WATER AT THE DEPTH BELOW
THE ICE SURFACE AND THE LIQUID
WATER IS OBVIOUSLY WARMER, THE
HEAT CAN FLOW UP THROUGH THE ICE
AND CAUSE A THERMAL ANOMALY AND
CRACKS IN THE ICE COULD GIVE US
THE PLUME.
CONVERSELY, THE PLUMES
THEMSELVES COULD SIMPLY BE
VENTING WATER VAPOR HIGH INTO
SPACE FROM THE EUROPA SURFACE.
WE SEE PLUMES RISING TO 100
KILOMETERS, 60 MILES, AND WE
WOULD EXPECT THE WATER VAPOR TO
SPREAD OUT OVER A MUCH BIGGER
AREA THAN THAT.
WE AREN'T AT ESCAPE VELOCITY SO
IT'S GOT TO COME BACK DOWN.
IF A FINE MIST OF WATER VAPOR
RAINS BACK DOWN ON TO THE
SURFACE, IT CAN CHANGE THE
THERMAL CHARACTER OF THAT
SURFACE AND ALLOW IT TO RETAIN
HEAT LONGER.
SO, INSTEAD OF HEAT COMING UP
FROM BELOW, IT COULD BE HEAT
FROM ABOVE BEING SLOWLY
RERADIATED DURING THE EUROPA
NIGHTTIME.
SO, IT'S VERY INTRIGUING PAIR OF
RESULTS.
WE DISCOVERED A REPEATING PLUME
CANDIDATE AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT
THE GALLILEO DATA, WE FOUND A
POSITION OF THAT REPEATING PLUME
CANDIDATE THAT WAS RIGHT AT THE
POSITION OF A THERMAL ANOMALY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE EUROPA
CLIPPER MISSION WHICH JIM IS
GOING TO TELL US ABOUT AND THAT
WILL CHARACTERIZE THIS AND OTHER
AREAS IN GREAT DETAIL.
>> YOU KNOW, THE CASINI
OBSERVATIONS THAT INSOLIDUS AND
THE HUBBLE OBSERVATIONS AT
EUROPA TELLS YOU WE ARE USING
EVERYTHING IN OUR ARSENAL TO
PROBE THESE NEW OCEAN WORLDS
THAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED.
THIS IS TRULY A REALLY EXCITING
TIME.
CASINI UNFORTUNATELY IS NEAR ITS
END . IT WILL BE PLUNGED INTO
THE ATMOSPHERE OF SATURN, IT
IT'S RUNNING OUT OF FUEL, ON THE
15th OF SEPTEMBER.
AND SO THESE, IN DEED, ARE THE
LAST DISCOVERIES THAT WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT FROM CASINI AS IT
RELATES TO INSOLIDUS.
THE NEXT BIG MISSION THAT WE ARE
WORKING ON IS CALLED THE EUROPA
CLIPPER AND THIS PARTICULAR
MISSION IS GOING TO INSOLIDUS.
THERE ARE NINE MAJOR INSTRUMENTS
ON IT.
AND THESE DISCOVERIES ARE COMING
AT JUST THE PERFECT TIME.
IT ENABLES US TO MAKE THE RIGHT
SET OF OBSERVATIONS THAT CAN
TELL US MUCH MORE ABOUT THESE
OCEAN WORLDS.
EUROPA IN PARTICULAR.
CAN I HAVE MY VIDEO, PLEASE?
THE EUROPA CLIPPER WILL ORBIT
JUPITER, BUT IT MAKES VERY CLOSE
FLY-BYES OF EUROPA.
IT HAS INSTRUMENTS LIKE THE
MAGNETOMETER, ONCE AGAIN, THAT
WILL MAKE MEASUREMENTS OF ITS
OCEAN.
IT ALSO HAS AN ICE-PENETRATING
RADAR.
THIS RADAR WILL TELL US HOW
THICK OR THIN THESE ICE SHELLS
ARE AND HOW CLOSE THEN THE OCEAN
MIGHT BE TO CRACKS.
THE NEXT MAJOR INSTRUMENT THAT
IT HAS IS THERMAL IMAGING GOING
BACK TO WHAT WE LEARNED FROM
INSOLIDUS -- HOW HOT ARE THESE
AREAS?
ARE THERE CRACKS THERE LIKE WE
SEE NOW WITH THE PLUMES FROM THE
HUBBLE OBSERVATIONS AND THE HOT
SPOTS STILL BEING HOT FROM
GALLILEO OBSERVATIONS MORE THAN
15 OR SO YEARS AGO?
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE A
U.V. SPECTROMETER.
THIS IMAGER IS GOING TO BE THE
PLUME FINDER.
SO AS WE GO BACK, ORBIT OUT AWAY
FROM JUPITER, WE ARE GOING TO
LOOK BACK AT INSOLIDUS.
WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR THOSE
PLUMES AND THEN DIVING BACK IN
AND HOPEFULLY, IF EVERYTHING
WORKS RIGHT, FLYING THROUGH THE
PLUMES MUCH LIKE CASINI HAS DONE
AT INSOLIDUS.
BUT, NOW WE'LL HAVE THE RIGHT
SET OF OBSERVATIONS TO MAKE.
ON THAT SPACE CRAFT, THE EUROPA
CLIPPER WILL HAVE AN ADVANCED
MASS SPECTROMETER, ACTUALLY
HUNTER WAITE IS OUR PRINCIPLE
INVESTIGATOR FOR THAT
INSTRUMENT.
SO, WHAT A FANTASTIC TIME COMING
UP.
THESE OBSERVATIONS ARE REALLY
INFORMING US OF MAJOR THINGS
HAPPENING IN THESE OCEAN WORLDS
RIGHT NOW . WHAT I REALLY WANT
YOU TO WALK AWAY WITH IS -- WE
ARE PUSHING THE FRONTIERS.
WE ARE FINDING NEW ENVIRONMENTS.
WE ARE LOOKING IN A WAY THAT WE
HAVE NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE
BEFORE FOR ENVIRONMENTS IN OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM WHICH MAY HARBOR
LIFE TODAY.
WITH THAT, LET ME GIVE IT BACK
TO FELICIA.
>> THANKS, JIM.
NOW WE WILL GO INTO A Q. AND A.
SESSION.
USE THE HASHTAG ASK NASA FOR
THOSE ONLINE.
FOR THOSE IN THE ROOM, IF YOU
WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION,
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
IF YOU ARE PRESS, PLEASE STATE
YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION.
LET'S START WITH QUESTIONS FROM
THE ROOM.
OK.
WELL, BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS
FROM THE ROOM, LET'S GO AHEAD TO
THE PHONE LINES.
FIRST WE HAVE CAMILLE CARLISLE
FROM THE SKY AND TELESCOPE
MAGAZINE.
>> HI.
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES.
>> OK.
THANKS FOR TAKING MY CALL.
TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE
ESSENTIALLY HAVE A CALORIE COUNT
NOW WITH THIS HYDROGEN.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW MUCH ENERGY
IS AVAILABLE?
CAN YOU PUT SOME SORT OF DETAIL
ON THAT?
AND -- THIS IS A LOGISTICS
QUESTION.
MAYBE I MISSED IT.
IS THERE A WEBSITE FOR ALL THE
PRESS IMAGES THAT WE CAN GO TO
AND GET THEM?
>> SO FELICIA, CAN YOU TELL US
THE PRESS SITE?
AND WE WILL GO TO J.P.L. TO GET
THE CALORIE COUNT.
>> IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION,
GO TO NASA .GOV.
OUR PRESS RELEASE WILL BE THERE.
I BELIEVE BY GOING TO THE J.P.L.
SAT EARN PAGE THERE WILL BE
MATERIALS.
PLEASE JUST GO TO THE TWO SITES
THAT WERE ON THE SCREEN EARLIER
AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET
THE MATERIALS YOU NEED.
FOR THE SECOND PART OF THE
QUESTION, LET'S GO TO J.P.L.
>> IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
THE PLUME GAS MIXTURE FROM THE
HYDROGEN NUMBER WE DERIVE SAN
DIEGO EQUIVALENT TO ROUGHLY 300
PIZZAS PER HOUR IN ITS ENERGY
CONTENT.
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> NEXT WE HAVE ON THE PHONE
LINES WE HAVE ERIC BERGER.
>> HI.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR HAVING THIS
CALL.
I WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT THE PLUME
EVIDENCE, EUROPA.
YOU SAID YOU FOUND IT IN 2014
AND 2016 THIS EVIDENCE OF WATER
PLUMES.
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU LOOK AND
WAS IT NOT THERE?
I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET
AT, IS THERE ANY SENSE OF HOW
INTERMITTENT THIS PLUME MIGHT BE
IF IT DOES, IN DEED, EXIST?
>> OF COURSE BILL NOW HAS BEEN
ON THE, A NUMBER OF MAJOR
OBSERVATIONS FROM HUBBLE.
AND BILL CAN GIVE YOU THE
ANSWER.
>> YES.
WE LOOKED 12 TIMES AND WE SAW IT
TWICE IN THAT LOCATION.
WE DID SEE SOME EVIDENCE OF
PLUMES AROUND THE SOUTH POLE,
POLAR REGIONS A COUPLE OF TIMES,
TOO.
BUT IT IT'S MUCH HARDER TO
LOCATE THE SOURCE WHEN YOU ARE
DOWN AT THE POLAR REGION.
AND THERE ISN'T ANY COVERAGE BY
GALLILEO IN THAT REGION, EITHER.
SO, WE WERE LUCKY TO FIND THIS
ONE THAT DID REPEAT WAS ACTUALLY
NEAR THE EQUATOR.
AND SO IT WAS TWICE OUT OF 12
TIMES.
ONE IN SIX.
>> WOULD YOU CARE TO
CHARACTERIZE HOW CONFIDENT YOU
ARE THESE ARE ACTUALLY PLUMES?
>> THE STATISTICS TELL US THAT
JUST FROM RANDOM PHOTON
STATISTICS, THEY ARE REAL.
THEY ARE WHAT WE CALL FOUR SIGMA
RESULTS.
THAT'S NOT QUITE AS STRONG
EVIDENCE AS YOU WOULD REALLY
LIKE.
YOU WOULD PREFER IT TO BE
STRONGER THAN THAT BECAUSE AT
THAT LEVEL THERE'S ALWAYS THE
POSSIBILITY THAT THERE'S SOME
SORT OF INSTRUMENTAL EFFECT THAT
YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
WE HAVE COVERED OUR SELFS IN
TERMS OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT POSSIBLE INSTRUMENTAL
EFFECTS COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS.
AND EVERY SINGLE ONE THAT WE CAN
THINK OF DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE
CAPABLE OF DOING IT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TWO
OBSERVATIONS THAT I SHOWED,
ALTHOUGH THEY LOOK THE SAME IN
THE SAME POSITION WHEN WE
PROJECT THEM ON THE SKY, WHEN
THEY WERE TAKEN WITH THE CAMERA,
THE HUBBLE WAS IN A COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT ORIENTATION FOR THOSE
TWO IMAGES.
SO THEY ARE IN COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CAMERA
WITH THE TELESCOPE ROLLED AROUND
AT A COME PLATELY DIFFERENT
ANGLE.
AND THAT ELIMINATES THE WHOLE
BUNCH OF POTENTIAL SYSTEMATICS
THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED IT.
SO FROM THE HUBBLE PERSPECTIVE,
WE ARE -- I WOULDN'T SAY -- IT'S
NOT COMPLETELY UNEQUIVOCAL THE
WAY IS IT WITH INSOLIDUS.
WE ARE STILL AT THE LIMITS OF
WHAT HUBBLE CAN DO, BUT WE ARE
GROWING IN CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF
THE REPEAT AND IN MY CASE, I
FIND THE CORRELATION WITH
GALLILEO THERMAL DATA QUITE
INTRIGUING AND QUITE COMPELLING.
>> YOU KNOW FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
AS BILL MENTIONED, THESE PLUMES
ARE UP TO 50 KILOMETERS AND
PERHAPS AS HIGH AS 100
KILOMETERS.
EUROPA IS THE SIZE OF OUR OWN
MOON.
IT'S AN ENORMOUS BODY.
AND THEREFORE, THERE MUST BE
ENORMOUS ENERGY TO BE ABLE TO
LOFT THESE POTENTIAL WATER JETS
HIGH ENOUGH FOR US TO BE ABLE TO
OBSERVE IT FIVE ASTRONOMICAL
UNITS AWAY.
IT'S A REMARKABLE SET OF
OBSERVATIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, IT'S
NOT AS PERIODIC AS THE INSOLIDUS
PLUMES.
GOING BACK AND LOOKING
PERIODICALLY IT'S GIVING US THE
CONFIDENCE THAT THEY ARE THERE.
THEY MAY NOT BE AS PERIODIC BUT
IN DEED NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THE
WATER, THE OCEAN, IS
COMMUNICATING WITH THE SURFACE.
BILL AND HIS TEAM IS ALSO
TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY CAN MAKE
MORE OBSERVATIONS BETWEEN NOW
AND WHEN WE DO IN DEED LAUNCH
THE EUROPEA CLIPPER IN THE
2020s.
>> LET'S GO TO THE PHONES.
>> OK.
WELL, BEFORE WE GO TO THE PHONES
LET'S GO AHEAD TO SOCIAL MEDIA
WHERE EMILY IS HELPING FIELD THE
QUESTIONS.
SO EMILY?
>> SURE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS
COMING IN.
THIS FIRST ONE IS FROM T. BATINI
ON TWITTER.
SHE WANTS TO KNOW ARE WE TALKING
ABOUT GIANT SQUIDS OR ALGAE AND
BACTERIA?
[LAUGHTER]
>> MARY?
>> I THINK THAT MOST OF US WOULD
BE EXCITED WITH ANY LIFE.
AND WE ARE CERTAINLY WHEN WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT THE SOURCES OF
ENERGY, THIS IS TO FEED THE BASE
OF A FOOD WEB.
SO WE ARE GOING TO START WITH
BACTERIA AND IF WE GET LUCKY,
MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S
LARGER.
>> I THINK WHAT'S REALLY ALSO
EXCITING ABOUT THESE DISCOVERIES
IS THESE OCEAN WORLDS WITH THEIR
PROTECTIVE OUTER SHELL, IF IN
DEED THERE'S LIFE IN THERE, IT
HAS TO BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
THAN OURS IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S
GENERATED IN A WAY THAT'S NOT
RELATED TO OUR LIFE.
WE CALL THAT A SECOND GENESIS.
>> THE SECOND QUESTION IS FROM
AT DECENT MAT'S EYE ON TWITTER.
HE WANTS TO KNOW COULD THERE BE
MOVEMENT OF ICE SURROUNDING
INSOLIDUS SIMILAR TO PLATE
TECTONICS HERE ON EARTH?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A REALLY
GREAT QUESTION AND THE REASON
WHY IS, IT WAS ONLY WITHIN THE
LAST COUPLE YEARS THAT WE HAVE
STARTED TO LOOK BACK AT THE
EUROPEA DATA THAT HAS BEEN
GATHERED BY GALLILEO.
GALLILEO ONLY MADE LIKE 10 OR 11
FLY-BYES SUCCESSFULLY BY EUROPA.
SO WE HAVE LIMITED ENERGY.
BUT THERE APPEARS TO BE A
LOCATION WHERE ONE SORT OF
SEDUCTION IS GOING ON IN A CRACK
WHERE ONE PLATE OF THE ICY SHELL
IS MOVING UNDERNEATH ANOTHER.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S TRUE.
IT MAY BE A MUCH GREATER
LOCATION ALL AROUND THAT BODY.
BUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE
STRESSES WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
THE TIDAL FORCES.
EUROPA IS IN AN ELLIPTICAL ORBIT
AROUND JUPITER AND IT ALSO HAS
TIDAL FORCES BEING PUSHED AROUND
BY THE OTHER GALLILEON MOONS.
EVERY TWO AND A HALF TO THREE
DAYS AS IT MAKES ITS ORBIT T IS
BEING SQUEEZED AND RELEASED AND
SQUEEZED AND RELEASED.
OUR ESTIMATE TODAY IS THAT THE
SURFACE MOVES AS MUCH AS 30
METERS -- THAT'S THE HEIGHT OF
AN EIGHT OR NINE-STORY BUILDING
-- EVERY TWO OR THREE DAYS.
THAT HEAT HAS GOT TO GO
SOMEWHERE.
AND THE PUSHING AND THE STRESSES
ON THE ICY SHELL MAY, IN DEED,
BE LIKE OUR PLATE TECTONICS.
>> CAN I ADD ONE THING ABOUT IT
THAT'S ACTUALLY IMPORTANT FOR
LIFE, SO HERE ON EARTH MANY
PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT WE WOULDN'T
HAVE SUSTAINED LIFE ON EARTH IF
IT WEREN'T FOR PLATE TECTONICS.
IT'S A GREAT PROCESS FOR
RECYCLING MATERIALS, BRINGING
THINGS THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT
LIFE UP FROM THE MANTLE AND
BELOW.
AND SO, IT -- THAT KIND OF A
PROCESS IS VERY IMPORTANT ON
THESE ICY MOONS, AS WELL.
BECAUSE WE THINK ABOUT -- WE
HAVE JUST HEARD ABOUT SOME
SOURCES OF ENERGY THAT ARE
COMING FROM THE INTERACTION OF
THE WATER AND THE CORE.
WE ALSO THINK ON EUROPA THERE
ARE CREATIONS OF OXIDANTS AT THE
SURFACE AS A RESULT OF THE
RADIATION AT THE SURFACE.
AND WE NEED SOME SORT OF ACTIVE
SHELL, ICE TECTONICS, IF YOU
WILL, TO ACTUALLY BRING THOSE
INTO CONTACT.
MUCH LIKE A BATTERY WHERE YOU
HAVE A POSITIVE AND A NEGATIVE
POLE, TO ACTUALLY CONNECT AND
DRIVE LIFE.
THIS PROCESS IS REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR LIFE.
>> OK.
WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ONE MORE
QUESTION FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND
THEN WE WILL GO TO THE PHONE
LINES.
SO EMILY?
>> SURE.
THIS QUESTION IS FROM PHILLIP ON
FACEBOOK AND HE WANTS TO KNOW
WHICH MOON DO YOU THINK OFFERS
MORE POSSIBILITY OF LIFE ON IT?
EUROPA OR INSOLIDUS?
>> WOW, THAT IT'S A GOOD --
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I WISH I KNEW FOR SURE.
>> WELL I HAVE AN IDEA.
>> ALL RIGHT, MARY WILL GIVE IT
A SHOT.
>> WELL, SO I THINK THAT THIS
RESULT OF FINDING SUCH A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
HYDROTHERMAL ACTIVITY AND A GOT
OF HYDROGEN IS INCREDIBLE.
IT SPEAKS TO THE HABITABILITY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE FACT THAT
WE CAN MEASURE SUCH HIGH
CONCENTRATIONS OF HYDROGEN AND
CARBON DIOXIDE MEANS THAT THERE
MIGHT NOT BE LIFE THERE AT ALL
AND IF THERE IS LIFE, IT'S NOT
VERY ACTIVE.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE
STACKS OF PIZZA, MUCH LIKE IN A
GRADUATE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, IT
DISAPPEARS.
SO, WE HAVE THIS BUILDUP OF FOOD
THAT'S NOT BEING USED.
AND PART OF THAT COULD BE
BECAUSE WE THINK INSOLIDUS MIGHT
BE FAIRLY YOUNG.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE SAME
PROCESS, WHICH THERE'S NO REASON
TO THINK IT WOULDN'T BE
HAPPENING ON EUROPA, WE KNOW
EUROPA AND THE MOONS AROUND
JUPITER WERE FORMED A BILLION
YEARS AGO.
THAT'S A LOT OF TIME FOR LIFE TO
HAVE EMERGED AND STARTED TAKENG
ADVANTAGE.
MY MONEY IS STILL ON EUROPA.
BUT IT COULD BE ANY OF THESE
MOONS AND WOULD BE GREAT IF IT
WAS ALL OF THEM.
>> WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEXT WE HAVE MIKE FROM SPACE.COM
ON THE PHONE LINES.
MIKE, ARE YOU THERE?
>> YES, I'M HERE.
THANK YOU GUYS.
REALLY EXCITING STUFF AND I HAVE
ANOTHER QUESTION FOR BILL ABOUT
THE PLUMES.
SO, JUST, YEAH, JUST SO I'M SORT
OF CLEAR ON THIS, THIS IS NOT A
CONFIRMATION THAT THE PLUMES
EXIST, I KNOW YOU GUYS -- I KEEP
SEEING MORE AND MORE SIGNS, BUT
YOU ARE STOPPING SHORT OF SAYING
THAT THEY DEFINITELY EXIST.
AND JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, ARE
THESE IN THE SAME LOCATION AS
THE ORIGINAL 2012 SECTION?
OR LIKE DO THE PLUMES -- I MEAN
HAVE THEY BEEN SPOTTED IN
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ALL AROUND
EUROPA?
THANK YOU.
>> LET'S HAVE BILL SPARKS OF
COURSE ANSWER THAT.
>> OK.
IT'S NOT COMPLETELY UNEQUIVOCAL.
BUT, IN MY MIND, THE PENDULUM
HAS SWUNG FROM CAUTION TO
OPTIMISM.
THE EVIDENCE IS GROWING.
THE FACT THAT WE SAW A REPEAT AT
THE EXACT SAME LOCATION, THAT'S
ONE OF THE THE GOLD STANDARDS
FOR DEALING WITH AN INTERMITTENT
PHENOMENON.
IT'S NOT PROOF, BECAUSE WE ARE
RIGHT AT THE LIMIT OF WHAT THE
HUBBLE CAN DO.
IT'S NOT COMPLETELY UNEQUIVOCAL.
ON INSOLIDUS, HAVE YOU MOVEMENTS
OF THE PLUMES AND WONDERFUL MAPS
AND TEMPERATURE MAPS AND MASS
SPECTROMETER MEASUREMENTS OF THE
COMPOSITION AND WE HAVE A LITTLE
SMUDGE NEXT TO AN IMAGE FROM THE
HUBBLE.
IT'S A FANTASTIC IMAGE AND --
BUT IT'S RIGHT AT THE WILL LIMIT
OF WHAT THE -- THE LIMIT OF WHAT
THE HUBBLE CAN DO.
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A REPEAT
TELLS YOU IN A FORMAL
STATISTICAL SENSE, IT CAN'T
HAPPEN BY CHANCE.
SO, WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR
SYSTEMATIC EFFECTS THAT MIGHT
CAUSE IT.
WE DON'T KNOW OF ANY, WHICH IS
WHY MOST OF US, SOME OF US, ARE
LEANING TOWARD THINKING THAT
THIS IS -- THIS MEANS THEY ARE
REAL.
AND THEN THE SECONDARY
INFORMATION WITH THE THERMAL
IMAGING, AS SOON AS I WENT TO
LOOK FOR THE THERMAL IMAGING,
GIVES YOU SOME ADDITIONAL
STATISTICAL EVIDENCE THAT IN
FACT THEY ARE REAL.
IT DOESN'T PROVE IT, BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATE
COINCIDENCES CAN HAPPEN IN THE
WORLD.
IN TERMS OF THE LOCATION, THE
ORIGINAL DETECTION BY THE ROTH
TEAM WAS AROUND THE SOUTH POLAR
REGION.
THESE ARE THE DISSOCIATION
PROJECTS OF WATER AT HIGH
ALTITUDE DOWN AROUND THE SOUTH
POLE.
AND, IN OUR TRANSIT OBSERVATIONS
WHERE WE WERE LOOKING FOR
ABSORBING MATERIAL AROUND
EUROPA, WE DID SEE A COUPLE OF
FEATURES IN THAT -- IN THAT
AREA.
BUT, IT'S HARDER TO LOCALIZE
THINGS AROUND THE POLES.
THIS PARTICULAR ONE WAS WELL
LOCALIZED.
IT WASN'T QUITE AS HIGH AS THE
PREVIOUS ONE.
AND THAT'S THE ONE THAT REPEATED
AND SO THAT'S REALLY QUITE
INTERESTING.
>> THANK YOU.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER PIECES
OF EVIDENCE THAT THINK IS ALSO
REALLY TANTALIZING.
YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT INSOLIDUS,
PARTICULARLY AROUND THOSE TIGER
STRIPES, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO
CRATERS.
THEY ARE COMPLETELY FILLED IN.
AS YOU GO TO THE MID LATITUDES
AND UP TO THE NORTH POLE OF
INSOLIDUS, YOU DO, IN DEED, SEE
A NUMBER OF CRATERS.
IF WE LOOK NOW AT EUROPA, WE CAN
HARDLY SEE ANY CRATERS.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG
PUZZLE IN TERMS OF HOW THIS
SURFACE IS MORPHING, ELIMINATING
THE CRATERS THAT MUST HAVE BEEN
THERE AT ONE TIME AND ARE
CONTINUALLY BOMBARDING THE BODY,
BUT OVER THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT
WE HAVE OBSERVED IT WITH THE
GALLILEO MISSION, THOSE SEVERAL
YEARS, ONLY A HANDFUL OF CRATERS
WERE FOUND.
THE PLUMES -- THE PLUME IDEA
THAT IT IS RESURFACING AND THE
SUBDUCTION MUST BE IN A WAY
THAT'S ELIMINATING THESE
CRATERS.
THIS FITS PERFECTLY WITH THESE
OBSERVATIONS.
>> I THINK IS' A ZAMBONI.
[LAUGHTER]
>> NEXT WE HAVE TWO QUESTIONS ON
THE PHONE LINE.
THEN WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GO TO
SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO, THE FIRST CALL-IN PERSON WE
HAVE IS KEITH FROM NASA WATCH.
KEITH?
>> A TWO-PART QUESTION FOR
THOMAS ZURBUCHEN.
NASA WAS DIRECTED TO CREATE AN
OCEAN WORLDS PROGRAM.
NOW I SEE THAT PHRASE
EVERYWHERE.
HAVE YOU FORMALLY ESTABLISHED A
PROGRAM OFFICE?
WHO'S IN CHARGE OF IT, WHAT'S
THE BUDGET?
SECOND, WHY IS IT THAT SOME NEWS
MEDIA WERE GIVEN ADVANCE ACCESS
TO NASA PERSONNEL ON THIS
TAXPAYER FUNDED RESEARCH AND
OTHERS OF US WERE NOT?
>> SO, LET ME CERTAINLY TAKE ON
THE FIRST ONE AS HEAD OF
PLANETARY SCIENCE AND WE DID IN
DEED RECEIVE CONGRESSIONAL
DIRECTION ABOUT ESTABLISHING AN
OCEAN WORLDS PROGRAM.
WE HAVE IN DEED COMMUNICATED
BACK TO CONGRESS IN OUR
BUDGETARY ASPECTS THAT WE ARE
DOING THAT IN WITH RESPECT TO
THE NEXT SET OF MISSIONS AND
THAT NEXT SET IS IN DEED THE
EUROPA CLIPPER MISSION.
AS FAR AS THE PRESS CENTER
ACTION THAT -- THAT'S DONE IN
ANOTHER WAY.
>> SO WE HAVE ALSO BEEN DIRECTED
TO ESTABLISH A PROGRAM FOR
INVESTIGATING OCEAN WORLDS AND
WE WENT TO OUR OUTER PLANET
ASSESSMENT GROUP AND ASKED THEM
TO HELP US OUT BY DEVELOPING A
ROADMAP FOR EXPLORING THESE
WORLDS.
AND THAT IS IN PROCESS.
THEY ARE ABOUT TO DELIVER THAT
TO US ANY DAY NOW OR ANY MONTH
NOW.
WEEK.
AND SO WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON
SETTING THE SCIENCE AS WE ALWAYS
DO, SETTING THE SCIENCE
PRIORITIES AND THEN FILLING IN
THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE ARE
GOING TO NEED FOR IT AND
DISCUSSING TYPES OF MISSIONS
THOSE WOULD LOOK LIKE TO THE
VARIOUS OCEAN WORLDS THAT WE
HAVE TO EXPLORE.
>> NEXT WE HAVE TRACY WATSON
FROM USA TODAY.
TRACY?
>> HI, THANK YOU FOR DR. GREEN.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT NOW HOW THIS
MISSION AFFECTS YOUR DESIRE TO
SEND -- HOW THE RESULTS AFFECT
YOUR DESIRE TO SEND A MISSION TO
INSOLIDUS?
DOES THIS MAKE IT SIGNED OF RISE
TO THE TOP OF WHAT SHOULD BE
NEXT?
THANKS.
>> WELL, IN DEED, WE ANNOUNCED
IN JANUARY A PROGRAM CALLED NEW
FRONTIERS AND THAT IS A VERY
TARGETED LIST OF OBJECTS.
ON THAT LIST, TURNS OUT TO BE
INSOLIDUS.
THIS IS AN ELEMENT IN DEED OF
RECOGNITION THAT THIS IS AN
ACTIVE WORLD.
THAT THIS IS NEW DISCOVERIES
THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY CASINI
SINCE THE TIME OUR PLANETARY
DECADLE ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED WHAT
THOSE TARGETS ARE.
SO, THAT'S IN COMPETITION RIGHT
NOW AND WE WILL BE RECEIVING THE
PROPOSALS SOON AND WILL BE
EVALUATING THEM AND ANNOUNCING
THE STEP ONE SELECTEES BY THE
END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR IS WHAT
WE HOPE.
>> THANKS, JIM.
NEXT WE WILL GO TO SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO, EMILY, WHAT ARE THE NETIZANS
TALKING ABOUT TODAY?
>> YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF
INTEREST ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THIS QUESTION IS FROM LORENZO ON
FACEBOOK.
SO THE JUNO SPACE CRAFT WENT
INTO ORBIT AROUND JUPITER.
IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY FOR
THAT SPACE CRAFT TO HELP WITH
OBSERVATIONS OF THE PLUMES
AROUND EUROPA?
>> WELL, IN DEED, JUNO WAS
LAUNCHED IN 2011.
WE MAY HAVE HAD A HINT OF THE
PLUMES OF COURSE FROM CASINI.
BUT, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FROM
EUROPA BY THAT TIME.
AND SO, IT'S CONCENTRATING ON
REALLY ORBITING JUPITER AND
UNDERSTANDING THE STRUCTURE THAT
LARGE PLANET, THE LARGEST PLANET
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
IT ALSO IS SO IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THAT, BECAUSE THE
REMNANTS LEFT OVER AFTER JUPITER
AND SUN CREATED THE REST OF THE
SOLAR SYSTEM.
SO, WE ARE REALLY QUITE
INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING THE
ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM AND UNDERSTANDING
HOW JUPITER WAS PUT TOGETHER IS
A MAJOR SEGMENT OF THAT.
, SO UNFORTUNATELY NO EUROPA
OBSERVATION.
>> THIS NEXT ONE IS FROM CARRIE
ON FACEBOOK.
THEY WANT IT KNOW WHAT CHEMICALS
ARE CAUSING THE COLORATION OF
THE CRACKS AROUND EUROPA?
>> SO WITH THAT, PERHAPS GODDARD
COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT.
BILL?
>> I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER IS
-- WE DON'T KNOW.
THERE ARE SYSTEMS OF SALT FROM
THE OCEAN, BUT IT'S NOT KNOWN
WHAT SORT OF SALT AND THAT
POTENTIALLY THERE'S A
CONTRIBUTION FROM THE JOBIAN --
FROM EYE ONS BEING IMPLANTED
FROM THE NEXT MOON IN THAT'S
DEFINITELY GOT PLUMES.
IT'S GOT SULFUR VOLCANOS
SPRAYING SULFUR INTO THE WHOLE
ENVIRONMENT.
BUT THE DETAILED COMPOSITION OF
THE CRACKS IN THE DARK AREAS,
IT'S AN ONGOING STUDY OF
RESEARCH.
PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY A VERY
INTERESTING QUESTION.
IT WILL BE VERY NICE TO KNOW THE
ANSWER TO THAT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL TAKE ONE MORE QUESTION
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> THIS ONE IS FROM STEPHANIE ON
TWITTER. SHE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT
INSTRUMENTS WILL BE NEEDED TO
DETECT LIFE ON INSOLIDUS AND HOW
CAN WE HELP?IS IF
>> OK.
WITH THAT, LET'S GO TO J.P.L.
>> HI.
WELL -- THE INSTRUMENTS --
EXCUSE ME, THE INSTRUMENTATION
THAT WOULD BE -- IN THIS REGARD
ARE SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS THAT THE
ONES THAT WE WERE FLYING ON
CASINI.
AND THEY ARE CERTAINLY SIMILAR
TO THE INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE
PRESENTLY FLYING ON EUROPA.
MASS SPECTROMETER AND DUST
ANALYZER ARE BOTH IMPORTANT IN
DETERMINING THIS HABITABILITY,
AS WELL AS LOOKING FOR PERHAPS
FATTY ACIDS, LOOKING AT ISOTOPIC
RATIOS AND TRYING TO DETERMINE
SIGNS OF LIFE AS WELL AS TELLING
US MORE ABOUT THE HABITABILITY.
LEARNING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE
STRUCTURE OF THE MOLECULES
THEMSELVES WOULD ALSO BE
BENEFICIAL.
AND THAT CAN BE DONE THROUGH
TANDEM MASS SPECTROMETRY.
FOR FLY-THROUGH MISSIONS WHICH
WE THINK WOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH
FOR INSOLIDUS, THIS IS A NEXT
STEP THAT WOULD BE A GOOD
APPROACH.
>> WELL THANK YOU.
NOW, SO BEFORE WE CLOSE, JIM,
CAN YOU GIVE US SOME CLOSING
THOUGHTS?
ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT?
>> IN DEED.
AND, THIS IS REALLY AN EXCITING
TIME.
OUR SCIENCE IS PROCEEDING SO
RAPIDLY, WE CAN HARDLY KEEP UP
WITH THESE DISCOVERIES.
YOU KNOW, WE REALLY ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO MORE OF THE HUBBLE
OBSERVATIONS.
WE MAY FIND THAT EUROPA IS FAR
MORE ACTIVE IN A NUMBER OF
LOCATIONS AND THAT BODES WELL
WITH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER,
FILLING IN THESE CRATERS.
THESE OCEAN WORLDS HAVE JUST
BEEN DISCOVERED.
THEY ARE IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
WE NEED TO PROBE THEM BECAUSE
THEY ARE ONE OF THE BEST
LOCATIONS WE BELIEVE THAT MAY
HARBOR LIFE TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.
AND THAT'S ALL THE TIME THAT WE
HAVE LEFT.
PLEASE KEEP THOSE QUESTIONS
COMING ONLINE USING THE HASHTAG
ASK NASA.
BE SURE TO FOLLOW US ON ALL OUR
SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND, FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE VISIT WWW. NASA .GOV AS
