GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS
FELICIA CHOU WITH THE OFFICE OF
COMMUNICATIONS AND WELCOME TO
NASA HEADQUARTERS.
NASA HAS SELECTED SCIENCE
INSTRUMENTS FOR THE EUROPA
MISSION AS PART OF OUR
COMMITMENT TO EXPLORE THE SOLAR
SYSTEM AND BEYOND.
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE
UNIVERSE AND SEARCH FOR LIFE
AMONG THE STARS.
WE WILL HAVE BRIEF PRESENTATIONS
FROM OUR PARTICIPANTS AND THEN
TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE
AUDIENCE, THE PHONE LINES AND
SOCIAL MEDIA.
TO ASK A QUESTION USING SOCIAL
MEDIA, PLEASE USE #ASKNASA.
TODAY'S PARTICIPANTS ARE CURT
NIEBUR, EUROPA PROGRAM
SCIENTIST.
JIM GREEN, DIRECTOR OF THE
PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION.
AND TO OFFICIALLY START US OFF,
HERE IS JOHN GRUNSFELD,
ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE
SCIENCE MISSION DIRECTORATE.
JOHN?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FELICIA.
WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO EUROPA.
OUR MISSION IS TO INNOVATE,
EXPLORE, DISCOVER AND INSPIRE.
WE'RE TRYING TO ANSWER THE BIG
QUESTIONS, WHERE DID WE COME
FROM?
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
AND ARE WE ALONE?
THESE WE TRANSLATE INTO SCIENCE
QUESTIONS.
EVER SINCE THE 11 FLY BYES BY
THE GALILEO MISSION, WE HAVE
BEEN INTRIGUED BY THE MOON OF
JUPITER.
SCIENTISTS HAVE SCRUTINIZED
THESE IMAGES TO INCREDIBLE
DETAIL AND DETERMINED THAT
EUROPA HARBOURS A DEEP SALTY
OCEAN BELOW A THICK MANTLE OF
ICE.
THE IMAGES SHOW A CRACK EVEN
TORTURED SURFACE.
I JUST LOST MY NOTES.
ONE OF THE AMAZING FEATURES OF
EUROPA IS THAT WE SEE VERY FEW
CRATERS INDICATING IT'S A YOUNG
SURFACE, SOMETHING IS CAUSING IT
TO BE TURNED OVER.
THE AGE IS PERHAPS ONLY 50
MILLION YEARS.
TIDAL FORCES FROM JUPITER MUST
BE CAUSING SOME DYNAMICS THAT
RESULT IN THE SURFACE BEING IN
CONTACT WITH THAT UNDERSEA
OCEAN.
RECENTLY OBSERVATIONS FROM
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, YOU KNEW
I HAD TO GET HUBBLE IN THERE
SOMEHOW, DETECT WHAT MAY BE
PLUMES OF WATER SHOOTING OUT
FROM UNDER THE SURFACE OF
EUROPA.
THIS MAY BE PART OF THE
MECHANISM THAT HELPS RESURFACE
EUROPA.
EUROPA IS JUST ONE OF MANY ICY
MOONS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM THAT
ARE LIKELY SITES OF SUB-SURFACE
OCEANS.
FOR EUROPA, THAT OCEAN MAY HAVE
BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR BILLIONS
OF YEARS SINCE THE CREATION OF
THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
IN THAT OCEAN, OF COURSE, IS
WATER, SALTY WATER, ORGANICS AND
LIKELY SOURCES OF HEAT, SUCH AS
UNDERSEA VENTS THAT WE SEE HERE
ON EARTH.
ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS ARE THE
KIND OF CONTRIBUTORS THAT WE
BELIEVE ARE NECESSARY
INGREDIENTS FOR LIFE TO EMERGE.
THE INSTRUMENTS WE'RE ANNOUNCING
TODAY ARE THE RESULT OF
INVESTMENTS WE'VE MADE OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS IN TECHNOLOGY TO
HELP INTERROGATE THE ICY BODIES
IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
THE COMPLIMENT OF INSTRUMENTS
WE'VE SELECTED ARE COMPELLING
AND WILL RESULT IN A MISSION
THAT IS EVERY BIT AS IMPRESSIVE
IN MY OPINION AS THE CASSINI
MISSION TO SATURN OR THE
PREVIOUS GALILEO MISSION TO
JUPITER AND ITS MOONS.
THE MISSION DESIGN IS STILL
BEING STUDIED BUT WE WANTED TO
GET A HEAD START ON THE
INSTRUMENTS AS THEY ARE OFTEN
THE LONG POLES IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SOMETHING AS
COMPLEX AS A MISSION TO EUROPA.
JIM GREEN WILL COVER THE SCIENCE
IN SOME DETAIL, CURT WILL GO
OVER THE INSTRUMENTS WE'VE
SELECTED.
I'M INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT
THIS BIG STEP FORWARD IN THE
QUEST TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM AND THE SEARCH FOR
LIFE BEYOND EARTH.
LET ME QUOTE JOHN F. KENNEDY
FROM 1961 ON THE EXPLORATION OF
SPACE.
THIS IS THE NEW OCEAN.
AND I BELIEVE THE UNITED STATES
MUST SAIL ON IT AND BE IN
POSITION SECOND TO NONE.
EUROPA, HERE WE COME.
JIM?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOHN.
EUROPA IS JUST SUCH A FABULOUS
MOON OF JUPITER.
IN FACT, MUCH OF WHAT JOHN
DESCRIBED CAN BE SEEN IN OUR
FIRST GRAPHIC OF THIS BEAUTIFUL
MOON.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, VERY FEW
CRATERS.
IT HAS THESE BROWN AREAS OR WHAT
WE CALL BROWN GUNK FOR THE LACK
OF KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THEY ARE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT THE BROWN
ILLUSTRATES THE CRACKS IN THE
MOON WHERE WE BELIEVE THE
SUB-SURFACE OCEAN MUST BE
COMMUNICATING WITH THE SURFACE.
SO THIS IS, INDEED, A FABULOUS
BODY.
AS JOHN MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN
STUDYING IT FOR A NUMBER OF
YEARS WITH ONLY A FEW PASSES BY
THE GALILEO SPACECRAFT WHICH WAS
ORBITING JUPITER IN THE '90s.
SINCE THEN WE'VE BEEN INTRIGUED
BY THIS BODY.
EUROPA WAS FIRST DISCOVERED BY
GALILEO IN 1610.
HE NEVER HAD THE EYES THAT WE
CURRENTLY HAVE IN LOOKING AND
SEEING THIS MOON FROM THE
GALILEO SPACECRAFT NAMED AFTER
HIM.
NOW, WE ARE IN THE PURSUIT OF
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THICK
THAT ICE SHELL IS.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S AN
UNDERCRUST OCEAN.
IN FACT THAT OCEAN MIGHT BE
SIGNIFICANT IN TERMS OF HAVING
MORE THAN TWICE THE WATER THAT
WE HAVE ON THIS PLANET.
AND AFTER 5 BILLION YEARS, WITH
CONDITIONS LIKE THAT, INDEED IT
COULD BE A VERY HABITABLE PLACE
IF LIFE, INDEED, STARTED ON THAT
BODY MANY BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.
SO, WHAT IS UNDERNEATH THAT ICE
CRUST?
WELL, WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE BUT WE
HAVE, I THINK, SOME REALLY GOOD
IDEAS AND PLENTY OF EVIDENCE TO
INDICATE THAT WHAT I'M GOING TO
TELL YOU ABOUT NEXT IS TRUE.
IF I CAN HAVE MY SECOND GRAPHIC.
IN THIS PARTICULAR GRAPHIC, WHAT
WE SEE IS THE MOON IO, AND
EUROPA ARE IN THE BACKGROUND.
WE BELIEVE SOMETHING LIKE THE
SURFACE OF IO MUST BE AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN IN EUROPA.
SO, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING.
IO IS SUFFERING THE SAME TIDAL
FORCES EUROPA IS, THOUGH SEVERAL
ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE MORE
EXTENSIVE BECAUSE IT'S SO CLOSE
TO THE PLANET JUPITER.
THESE HYDRO THERMAL VENTS REALLY
MUST REPRESENT THE VOLCANOS THAT
WE SEE ON IO IF, INDEED, EUROPA
HAS AN OCEAN THAT IS STRADDLING
THE ENTIRE BODY.
THE HYDROTHERMAL VENTS AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE IMAGE ARE OUR OWN
FROM OUR EARTH.
WE KNOW THEY ARE FULL OF EARTH.
THEY BRING UP NUTRIENTS, AND
THOSE CIRCULATE THROUGH THE
OCEAN.
SO HOW DO WE KNOW THERE ARE
HYDROTHERMAL VENTS THERE?
IN MY NEXT GRAPHIC, WE BELIEVE
THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD
INDICATIONS OF THAT.
SO AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THIS
GRAPHIC WE SEE WHAT A
HYDROTHERMAL VENT MIGHT LOOK
LIKE, LIKE THESE VOLCANIC
ERUPTIONS THAT WE HAVE ON IO
MUST BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
OCEAN.
THIS IS CAUSING THE WATER TO BE
HEATED, MASSIVE CIRCULATION
GOING ON.
THAT HEAT MUST GO ALL THE WAY UP
TO THE CRUST ITSELF.
NOW, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW
THICK THE CRUST IS.
WE BELIEVE IT'S ON THE ORDER OF
SOMETIMES TEN KILOMETERS, BUT IN
ACTUALITY IT MAY BE ONLY A FEW
KILOMETERS IN SPOTS.
IN FACT WE BELIEVE THE CRACKS
MAY OPEN AND CLOSE BASED ON
TIDAL FORCES, FORCING WATER BACK
OUT ON TO THE SURFACE.
SO, AS WE SEE HERE IN THIS
PARTICULAR GRAPHIC, THAT HEAT IS
TRANSFERRED TO THE TOP OF THE
ICE SHELF.
THE OCEAN MAY BE AS DEEP AS 100
KILOMETERS.
IF I HAVE THE NEXT GRAPHIC,
PLEASE.
HERE WE SEE THE TOP OF THE
SURFACE, THE ICE CRUST.
AND WHAT WE SEE IN THE CENTER IS
WHAT WE CALL A CHAOS REGION.
WE BELIEVE THERE'S GOOD
INDICATION THAT RIGHT BELOW THIS
CHAOS REGION IS SOME OF THESE
HYDRO THERMAL VENTS.
IT'S VERY CONSISTENT WITH OUR
MODEL OF THE OCEAN BEING HEATED
FROM BELOW, BREAKING UP THE ICE,
AND IN THE COLD ENVIRONMENT THAT
THE SURFACE OF EUROPA IS
EXPERIENCING, IT ICES OVER AND
PRODUCES THESE CHAOS PATTERNS.
WE ALSO SEE THE DISCOLORATION OF
THESE PARTICULAR AREAS.
INDICATING THERE MAY BE
ORGANICS, NUTRIENTS THAT IS
SULFUR CERTAINLY THAT IS FILLING
THESE REGIONS, AND DISCOLORATION
IS SHOWING THIS.
ON THE LOWER PANEL ON THE RIGHT
SIDE IS ANOTHER PROCESS WE ALSO
BELIEVE IS GOING ON.
THIS IS CALLED SUBDUCTION.
THIS IS WHERE AT A PARTICULAR
CRACK THERE MAY BE ONE PLATE
THAT IS MOVING UNDER ANOTHER
PLATE.
ALSO PRODUCING HEAT AND ALSO
BEING ABLE TO PRODUCE PLUMES.
AS YOU SEE IN THE UPPER RIGHT
CORNER, THIS IS TAKEN FROM
HUBBLE DATA.
WE HAVE INDICATION THAT THERE
ARE PLUMES AT EUROPA, AND HUBBLE
HAS BEEN OBSERVING EUROPA NOW
FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME
IN SEARCH OF WHAT ARE THE
REASONS THAT THESE PLUMS ARE
OCCURRING?
SO, THIS IS, INDEED,
TREMENDOUSLY EXCITING
OPPORTUNITY.
A TIME FOR US WHAT I'D LIKE DO
NOW IS SWITCH TO A LITTLE MOVIE.
AS JOHN MENTIONED, WE HAVE
STARTED THE PROCESS OF
ANNOUNCING OUR INSTRUMENTS FOR A
MULTIPLE FLYBY MISSION OF
EUROPA.
THIS PARTICULAR MOVIE, ONCE WE
GET HER STARTED, SLOWS OUR
CONCEPT OF OUR SPACECRAFT FLYING
BY EUROPA.
IT'S ACTUALLY ORBITING JUPITER.
MULTIPLE FLY-BYES CAN ALLOW US
TO GET A COMPLETE PICTURE OF
EUROPA.
ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY OF FLYING
THROUGH ONE OF THE PLUMES.
THE INSTRUMENTS WE'LL TALK ABOUT
TODAY INDEED SET THE STAGE FOR
WHAT EUROPA LOOKS LIKE IN GREAT
DETAIL ON ITS SURFACE.
IT TELLS US ABOUT HOW THICK THE
ICE IS.
IT TELLS US, PERHAPS, HOW THE
UNDER ICE CRUST OCEAN IS
COMMUNICATING WITH THE SURFACE
THROUGH THESE PLUMES AND ALLOWS
US TO MAKE THESE DETAILED
MEASUREMENTS OVER A LONG PERIOD
OF TIME.
AND SO TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'VE
SELECTED AND TALK ABOUT EACH OF
THE INSTRUMENTS, LET ME TURN IT
OVER TO CURT NIEBUR.
CURT?
>> THANKS, JIM.
WE RECEIVED 33 PROPOSALS FROM
PEOPLE INTERESTED IN BUILDING
INSTRUMENTS FOR THIS MISSION.
TODAY WE'RE ANNOUNCING THE
SELECTION OF NINE OF THOSE TO
FLY ON THE SPACECRAFT WE
EVENTUALLY SEND TO EUROPA.
ALL OF THESE INSTRUMENTS ARE
DESIGNED TO INCREASE OUR LIMITED
KNOWLEDGE OF EUROPA AND PROBING
THE BIG QUESTION, IS EUROPA
HABITABLE?
THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO
ANSWER.
THESE INSTRUMENTS ALL PURSUE A
DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THAT BIG
QUESTION.
SO, IF I COULD HAVE THE FIRST
SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE FIRST TWO INSTRUMENTS THAT
WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ARE A
MAGNETOMETER, THEY PROVIDE A
POWERFUL AND USEFUL DATA SET.
WHAT THEY DO, MEANS WE CAN TAKE
AN MRI OF THE INTERIOR STRUCTURE
OF EUROPA WITHOUT ACCESSING IT.
WHAT THEY CAN DO, IF YOU LOOK AT
THE PART ON THE LOWER RIGHT,
THAT COMPLEX DIAGRAM THAT
INDICATES IF WE'RE CLEVER IN
WHEN AND WHERE WE TAKE THOSE
MEASUREMENTS WHAT WE CAN DO AS
WE FLY BY EUROPA IS FIND OUT HOW
DEEP THAT GLOBAL OCEAN IS AND
HOW SALTY IT IS.
WE CAN DO ALL OF THAT WITHOUT
CRACKING OVER THE CRUST AND
DIPPING OUR INSTRUMENTS INTO THE
OCEAN.
JUST AS A DOCTOR CAN SEE WHAT'S
GOING ON INSIDE YOUR BODY BY
USING AN MRI.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE NEXT INSTRUMENT I WANT TO
TALK ABOUT IS A SPECIAL CAMERA
WE CALL AN INFRARED
SPECTROMETER.
THIS DOESN'T TAKE PICTURES OF
THE SURFACE.
INSTEAD IT ACQUIRES SOMETHING WE
CALL SPECTRA, THOSE SQUIGGLE EYE
LINES ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE.
THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
THEY ARE NOT RANDOM.
THEY ARE UNIQUE FINGERPRINTS
THAT CAN TELL US WHAT MATERIALS
ARE ON THE SURFACE OF EUROPA.
IF WE KNOW A CERTAIN MATERIAL,
SAY TABLE SALT HAS A SQUIGGLY
LINE OF A CERTAIN SHAPE, A
FINGER PRINT OF A CERTAIN SHAPE
AND THIS INSTRUMENT SHOWS US
THAT FINGERPRINT ON EUROPA, WHAT
WE KNOW IS THAT TABLE SALT
EXISTS ON EUROPA.
BY CATALOGING THE SURFACE, WE
CAN GET A NEAR GLOBAL MAP OF THE
STUFF THAT POPULATES EUROPA'S
SURFACE.
WE CAN KNOW WHAT IT IS MADE OUT
OF.
WE CAN DO THAT FOR ALMOST THE
ENTIRE SURFACE.
THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT IS
BECAUSE OF THAT BROWNISH GUNK
THAT JIM MENTIONED.
THAT'S OUR STATE OF THE ART TERM
FOR IT.
BROWN GUNK.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF EDUCATED
GUESSES, BUT THEY'RE JUST THAT.
GUESSES.
WE NEED ACTUAL DATA TO NAIL THIS
MATERIAL DOWN.
THIS MATERIAL IS IMPORTANT.
AS YOU SEE IN THE MIDDLE
PICTURE, THAT BROWNISH GUNK IS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE ABSOLUTE
NEWEST, YOUNGEST AREAS ON
EUROPA'S SURFACE.
THESE ARE AREAS WHERE WE THINK
WATER IS ERUPTING ON TO THE
SURFACE LIKE LAVA ERUPTS ON TO
THE SURFACE OF EARTH.
THIS BROWNISH GUNK IS BEING
CARRIED IN THE WATER.
IF WE FIND OUT WHAT WHAT IS, WE
CAN FIND OUT WHAT IS BEING CARRY
IN THE WATERS OF EUROPE PA.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ANSWER IF WE
NEED TO FIND OUT IF THIS PLACE
IS INHABITABLE.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS TWO CAMERAS, A
WIDE ANGLE CAMERA, IT PROVIDES
IMAGES IN COLOR, AND A NARROW
ANGLE CAMERA THAT PROVIDES HIGH
RESOLUTION IMAGES.
THIS IS REALLY A CRITICAL
INSTRUMENT FOR THIS MISSION.
THE BEST PICTURES WE HAVE OF
EUROPA ARE FROM GALILEO, THE
MISSION JOHN MENTIONED.
GALILEO WAS A PHENOMENAL MISSION
AND IS THE MISSION THAT REVEALED
TO US THAT THERE'S A GLOBAL
OCEAN ON EUROPA.
BUT WE OFTEN OVERLOOK THE SIMPLE
FACT THAT GALILEO ONLY FLEW BY
EUROPA ABOUT 11 TIMES.
IT DID NOT GET A LOT OF PICTURES
OF EUROPA.
WHEN YOU SUM ALL THOSE PICTURES
UP, WE'VE ONLY SEEN ABOUT 10% OF
THE SURFACE OF EUROPA AT A
RESOLUTION OF 200 METERS OR
BETTER THAT MEANS THERE'S A LOT
OF TERRAIN WE DON'T HAVE GOOD
PICTURES OF.
WE HAVE SPENT THE PAST 15 YEARS
PORING OVER THOSE SMALL NUMBER
OF PICTURES OVER AND OVER AGAIN
FOR TWO REASONS.
FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE THEY'RE
THE ONLY PICTURES WE HAVE.
SECOND OF ALL, BECAUSE THEY ARE
SUCH FASCINATING PICTURES.
YOU SEE EXAMPLES OF SOME OF
THOSE ON THE SLIDE.
IN THE CENTER YOU SEE A PICTURE
OF AN AREA THAT LOOKS LIKE A
CRACKED UP JIGSAW PUZZLE.
WE SEE REGIONS ON EUROPA WHERE
THERE ARE HUGE BLOCKS, TENS OF
KILOMETERS ACROSS THAT LOOK LIKE
ICEBERGS THAT HAVE BEEN MELTED
OUT, ROTATED AND SHIFTED.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS PICTURE AND
REASSEMBLE THAT JIGSAW PUZZLE
AND PUT THOSE PIECES BACK
TOGETHER, BUT SOMETHING CAUSED
THEM TO SHIFT.
WE SEE IN THE LOWER LEFT HAND
CORNER ICEBERGS THAT ARE
KILOMETERS HIGH WITH SHEER
VERTICAL CLIFFS.
IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER YOU
SEE THE ODD RIDGES THAT ARE
UBIQUITOUS ON EUROPA.
THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.
THEY LOOK SIMILAR TO THE MID
OCEAN SPREAD RIDGES ON EARTH.
RIDGES THAT ARE PULLING APART
FROM ONE ANOTHER N THIS CASE, AS
WATER COULD BE ERUPTING FROM
BELOW AND PUSHING THE CRUST
APART.
THESE ARE THE THINGS WE'VE SEEN
BY LOOKING AT 10% OF THE SURFACE
OF EUROPA.
THE INSTRUMENT WE SELECTED TODAY
WILL COVER ALMOST 90% OF THE
SURFACE AT 50 METER RESOLUTION.
IF WE HAVE SEEN SUCH AMAZING
THINGS ON 10% OF THE SURFACE,
IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THE AMAZING
THINGS WE WILL SEE WHEN WE LOOK
AT THE REST OF EUROPA AT EVEN
BETTER RESOLUTION.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AS JOHN MENTIONED, WE THINK
EUROPA HAS A YOUNG SURFACE
BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF
CRATERS.
IF IT'S YOUNG, IT MUST BE VERY
ACTIVE.
SOMETHING IS CAUSING THAT
SURFACE TO RENEW ITSELF.
THE NEXT TWO INSTRUMENTS HELP
INVESTIGATE THAT ACTIVITY.
SOMETHING IS CAUSING THE SURFACE
OF EUROPA TO TURN OVER, GENERATE
NEW SURFACE.
WHAT THE ICE PENETRATING RADAR
ON THE LEFT DOES IS ALLOW US TO
SEE UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE OF
EUROPA.
WE CAN PROBE IT IN THREE
DIMENSIONS.
IT ALLOWS US TO SEE THE
STRUCTURES, LAYERS OF THE ICE
UNDERNEATH.
SEE HOW THE LAYERS HAVE SHIFTED,
BENT, TWISTED.
THIS MEANS WE CAN SEE HOW THEY
ORIENTED AND GET A BETTER IDEA
OF HOW THEY CHANGED THROUGH
TIME.
THIS RADAR IS ALSO VERY GOOD AT
DETECTING SUBSURFACE WATER.
WE HAVE STRONG EVIDENCE THAT
THERE ARE LAKES UNDERNEATH THE
ICE CRUST ON EUROPA JUST AS WE
HAVE FOUND OVER THE PAST DECADE
OR SO IN ANTARCTICA ON EARTH.
WE THINK THESE LAKES ARE
INCREDIBLY COMMON ON EUROPA.
THIS RADAR WILL BE ABLE TO
IDENTIFY THOSE LAKES, TELL US
WHERE THEY ARE, HOW BIG THEY
ARE, HOW MUCH WATER THEY
CONTAIN.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THESE
LAKES ARE LIKELY VERY CLOSE TO
THE SURFACE.
WHICH MAKES THEM EASIER TO
STUDY.
THE OTHER INSTRUMENT ON THE
SLIDE IS THE THERMAL IMAGERY.
THIS IS OUR HEAT DETECTOR.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF
THERE'S ACTIVITY GOING ON IN THE
SURFACE OF EUROPA, THAT ACTIVITY
IS ASSOCIATED WITH HEAT.
THAT IS WHAT IS POWERING THE
ENGINE THAT'S ON RATING HERE.
FINDING THE RELATIVE HOT SPOTS
CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE AND
HOW EUROPA'S SURFACE IS ACTIVE.
HOT SPOTS BEING A FAIRLY
RELATIVE TERM.
EUROPA'S SURFACE IS ABOUT MINUS
160 DEGREES CELSIUS.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR AREAS THAT
ARE JUST A COUPLE OF DEGREES
WARMER THAN THAT.
SO WE'RE STILL TALKING VERY
FRIGID TEMPERATURES.
SO THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY
SENSITIVE INSTRUMENT.
BUT CONVERSELY, THERE MIGHT BE
AREAS ON EUROPA, SUCH AS WHERE
PLUMES ARE ERUPTING, OR WHERE
THERE IS ACTIVE ERUPTIONS OF
WATER THAT MIGHT BE 100 OR 150
DEGREES WARMER THAN THAT.
AND THIS INSTRUMENT WILL DO A
VERY GOOD JOB OF PINPOINTING
THOSE REGIONS.
SOME OF WHICH COULD BE VERY
SMALL.
THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE IN THAT
SIMULATED IMAGE ON THE LOWER
RIGHT HAND IMAGE.
THAT'S AN IMAGE OF ONE OF THOSE
SPREADING RIDGES ON EUROPA ALONG
WITH WHAT WE THINK COULD BE THE
EAT SIGNATURE, THE THERMAL
SIGNATURE AS IT ERUPTS NEW
MATERIAL ON TO THE SURFACE.
THIS THERMAL IMAGEER CAN SPOT
THAT ACTIVITY VERY PRECISELY.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
NEXT WE COME TO OUR NEXT TWO
INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE COMPOSITION
INSTRUMENTS.
THESE PROVIDE DETAILED
INFORMATION ON THE COMPOSITION
OF EUROPA USING A DIFFERENT
TECHNIQUE THAN THE INFRARED
SPECTROMETER.
THE INFRARED SPECTROMETER IS
LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF
EUROPA.
WHAT THESE INSTRUMENTS DO IS
INGEST SAMPLES OF EUROPA THAT
HAVE BEEN BLASTED INTO SPACE AND
DIRECTLY MEASURE THEM.
THE FIRST IS CALLED MASS SPECS.
THIS SAMPLES THE ATMOSPHERE OF
EUROPA.
BUT THE ATMOSPHERE OF EUROPA IS
A MISNOMER.
EUROPA DOESN'T HAVE AN
ATMOSPHERE.
IT'S A VACUUM.
THE MATERIALS AROUND EUROPA ARE
THE MATERIALS FROM THE SURFACE
THAT HAVE BEEN LOFTED INTO
SPACE.
WHAT THIS INSTRUMENT DOES IS
ANALYZE THE COMPOSITION OF THOSE
SURFACE SAMPLES, THOSE GASES TO
AN INCREDIBLY PRECISE DEGREE.
BETTER THAN WE EVER HAVE WITH
ANY OTHER MISSION.
SIMILARLY, THE SECOND INSTRUMENT
DOES ABOUT THE SAME THING,
INSTEAD OF WORKING WITH GASES,
IT'S WORKING WITH DUST.
IT'S WORKING WITH ROCK AND ICE
THAT HAVE BEEN BLASTED OFF THE
SURFACE OF EUROPA AND LOFTED UP
TO WHERE THE SPACECRAFT IS AT.
WORKING TOGETHER WITH THESE TWO
INSTRUMENTS, YOU CAN MEASURE THE
SURFACE COMPOSITION OF EUROPA
WITHOUT HAVING TO LAND ON
EUROPA, WHICH IS A POWERFUL
TECHNIQUE FOR US.
BUT THE REAL POWER OF THESE TWO
INSTRUMENTS, AS SHOWN IN THE
CENTER PICTURE, A DIAGRAM
DENOTING SOME CHEMISTRY THAT
OCCURRED ON THE HYDROTHERMAL
VENTS ON EARTH'S OCEAN FLOORS.
WHEN SAMPLES DOWN THERE ARE
LAUNCHED TO THE SPACECRAFT,
THESE INSTRUMENTS ARE POWERFUL
ENOUGH AND PRECISE ENOUGH THAT
THEY CAN ACTUALLY FROM ORBIT
TEACH US ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY
HAPPENING AT THE BOTTOM OF
EUROPA'S OCEAN, WITHOUT HAVING
TO DIVE INTO THAT OCEAN.
THESE ARE TECHNIQUES WE'VE USED
SUCCESSFULLY ON THE CASSINI
MISSION TO UNDERSTAND OCEANS AND
PLUMES.
THE INSTRUMENTS WE'LL BE TAKING
ON EUROPA ARE SEVERAL GENERATION
MORE ADVANCED THAN THE CASSINI
MISSION.
FINALLY, WE HAVE OUR PLUME
HUNTER.
AN ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROGRAPH.
THESE WILL FIND THE PLUMES THAT
WE DISCOVERED AND ARE SO
INTERESTED IN.
EVERY INSTRUMENT THAT WE ARE
FLYING DOES PLUME SCIENCE, BUT
THIS IS THE INSTRUMENT DESIGNED
TO HUNT THEM DOWN AND TELL US
WHERE THEY'RE AT.
THIS INSTRUMENT USES THE SAME
TECHNIQUE THAT THE RUBBLE SPACE
TELESCOPE USED TO FIRST FIND
EVIDENCE OF THE PLUMES, AS WE
ARE FLYING NEAR AND FAR FROM
EUROPA, IT WILL IDENTIFY WHERE
THE PLUMES ARE, HOW ACTIVE THEY
ARE, WHAT KIND OF MATERIALS THEY
ARE SPEWING INTO SPACE AND HOW
THEY VARY WITH TIME.
ADDRESS JOHN MENTIONED, WE'RE
ALREADY SEEING EVIDENCE THAT
THESE PLUMES CHANGE WITH TIME.
THEY START, STOP, MOVE, START UP
AGAIN.
THE DYNAMICS OF THESE PLUMES ARE
VERY COMPLICATED, WE DON'T
UNDERSTAND THEM YET.
BRINGING ALONG AN INSTRUMENT
THAT CAN OBSERVE THOSE PLUMES
AND GIVE US AN UNDERSTANDING AS
TO WHY AND WHERE THEY POP UP IS
INCREDIBLY VALUABLE.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS A WONDERFUL SET OF
INSTRUMENTS.
BUT RECALL THAT THE BIG QUESTION
THAT THIS MISSION NEEDS TO
ANSWER, IS EUROPA HABITABLE IN
POSING BIG QUESTIONS LIKE THAT
IS VERY EASY.
BUT ANSWERING THEM IS MUCH MORE
DIFFICULT.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ANSWER
THAT BIG QUESTION IS BREAK IT
INTO MORE MANAGEABLE CHUNKS.
SMALLER QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN
ANSWER DEFINITIVELY.
THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS LISTED
HERE.
THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT THE
NEXT MISSION TO EUROPA MUST
ANSWER.
ONCE WE HAVE DEFINITIVE ANSWERS
TO THESE QUESTIONS, WE CAN
ATTACK THE BIGGER QUESTION OF IS
EUROPA HABITABLE?
ONCE WE KNOW HOW DEEP AND SALTY
THAT OCEAN S WE CAN GET A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING OF INHABITABLE.
ONCE WE KNOW HOW THICK THE ICE
SHELL IS AND TO WHAT EXTENT IT
COMMUNICATES WITH THE OCEAN AND
BRINGS MATERIAL UP TO THE
SURFACE AND BACK DOWN TO THE
WATER, WE CAN HAVE A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING OF WHETHER OR NOT
EUROPA IS INHABITABLE.
ONCE WE UNDERSTAND HOW ACTIVE
THE ICE SHELL IS, WE CAN BETTER
UNDERSTAND INHABITABILITY.
ONCE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT
UBIQUITOUS BROWN GUNK IS, WE CAN
UNDERSTAND WHAT ONE OF THE
DIRECT COMPONENTS OF THAT OCEAN
IS.
ALL OF THESE THINGS FEED INTO
THE INHABITABILITY QUESTION.
ONE OF THE MOST RECENT QUESTIONS
WE'VE BEGUN STRUGGLING TO
ANSWER, WHERE ARE THOSE PLUMES?
WHAT'S IN THEME?
ARE THEY REALLY DELIVERING
SAMPLES OF THE OCEAN TO US IN
SPACE THAT WE CAN EASILY ACCESS?
IF THAT'S THE CASE, HOW CAN WE
GET AT THEM?
WHAT KIND OF MEASUREMENTS CAN WE
TAKE ON THEM?
THIS PAYLOAD WILL ANSWER ALL OF
THESE QUESTIONS AND TAKE GREAT
STRIDES FORWARD IN UNDERSTANDING
THE INHABITABILITY OF EUROPA.
>> THANK YOU, CURT.
NOW LET'S GO INTO THE Q & A
SESSION.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION
USING SOCIAL MEDIA, PLEASE
USE†#ASKNASA.
LET'S SEE IF THERE ARE ANY
QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
OKAY.
PLEASE WAIT FOR THE MIC AND SAY
YOUR NAME.
>> MY NAME IS KATIE.
HI.
SO IF YOU WERE ABLE TO DETECT
ANY FORM OF LIFE WHAT WOULD BE
THE NEXT STEPS THAT YOU WOULD
TAKE IN OBSERVING EUROPA?
>> I WOULD IMMEDIATELY RETIRE.
I'VE BEEN TELLING EVERYONE,
ANSWERING THAT BIG QUESTION IS
THERE LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
REALLY STARTS FROM UNDERSTANDING
IF THERE'S LIFE IN THE SOLAR
SYSTEM.
EUROPA IS ONE OF THOSE CRITICAL
AREAS WHERE WE BELIEVE THAT THE
ENVIRONMENT IS JUST PERFECT FOR
THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF
LIFE.
SO THIS MISSION WILL BE THAT
STEP THAT HELPS US UNDERSTAND
THE ENVIRONMENT AND HOPEFULLY
GIVE US AN INDICATION OF HOW
INHABITABLE THE ENVIRONMENT CAN
BE.
IF WE FIND LIFE OR INDICATIONS
OF LIFE THAT WILL BE AN ENORMOUS
STEP FORWARD.
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PLACE
IN THE UNIVERSE.
IF THERE'S LIFE IN THE SOLAR
SYSTEM, IN EUROPA, IT MUST BE
EVERYWHERE IN OUR GALAXY.
PERHAPS EVEN IN THE UNIVERSE.
UNDERSTANDING THESE QUESTIONS
ARE IMPORTANT.
THEY HAVE REAL MAJOR
IMPLICATIONS TO OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PLACE IN
THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND IN THE
UNIVERSE.
>> NATHAN ROSS.
YOU MENTIONED CHAOS REGIONS.
COULD YOU GO INTO DETAIL ON
THOSE?
>> IN THE ONE GRAPHIC WHERE WE
SAW THE SURFACE OF EUROPA, THE
CHAOS REGION.
THE THIRD GRAPHIC THERE.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING, WE BELIEVE
WHAT'S UNDERNEATH THAT CHAOS
REGION, PERHAPS A MELTED LAKE
REGION.
BELOW THAT IT'S BEING HEATED BY
PERHAPS HYDRO THERMAL VENT AT A
DEPTH THAT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW.
DEPENDS ON HOW HOT THE THERMAL
VENT IS AND HOW CLOSE IT IS TO
THE ICE CRUST.
AS CURT MENTIONED, WE WANT TO
TARGET THESE REGIONS, FLY OVER,
SEE THESE BROKEN UP ICE SHEETS,
CREATING THESE CHAOS REGIONS.
SEE, INDEED, IF PERHAPS THERE'S
A LAKE UNDERNEATH IT.
EITHER COMPLETELY OPEN TO THE
OCEAN BELOW OR MAYBE THERE'S A
BOTTOM TO THEM.
THIS GRAPHIC PROPOSES AN UNDER
ICE THIN CRUST OF MELTED WATER.
>> THANKS, JIM.
LET'S GO TO THE PHONE LINES AND
THEN SOCIAL MEDIA.
FIRST ON THE LINE, IRENE KLOTZ
FROM REUTERS.
>> Caller: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST IS, JIM, IF YOU COULD
MAYBE GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE
FUNDING FOR THE EUROPA MISSION.
NASA REQUESTED VERY MUCH MORE
MONEY AND DOES CONGRESS SEEM TO
BE INTERESTED IN PUTTING IT
TOWARDS IT AND THE TIMETABLE FOR
LAUNCHING AND THE STATUS OF THE
PROPOSAL TO PUT A LANDER ON IT.
ALSO MAYBE A LITTLE RUN DOWN OF
HOW MUCH THE NINE INSTRUMENTS
PLUS THE TECHNOLOGY
DEMONSTRATION, THE TENTH RUN
THAT BY NOW IS SLATED FOR THE
ORBITER, FOR THE CLIPPER, HOW
MUCH NASA WILL BE SPENDING ON
ALL THOSE.
THANKS.
>> LET ME SEE IF I CAN GO
THROUGH ALL OF THOSE AND PASS
OFF A FEW TO MY COLLEAGUES HERE.
>> ONE OF YOUR FIRST QUESTIONS
INDEED WAS WHAT ABOUT THE
MISSION ITSELF?
AS WE ANNOUNCED IN FEBRUARY,
AFTER THE PRESIDENT DELIVERED
HIS BUDGET TO CONGRESS.
WE HAVE FUNDED THE EUROPA
MISSION OUT OVER THE FIVE-YEAR
BUDGET THAT THE PRESIDENT
PROVIDES.
THIS IS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY
FOR US TO REALLY GET SERIOUS,
COMPLETE OUR INITIAL STUDIES,
AND MOVE THE MISSION IN WHAT WE
CALL FORMULATION.
IT'S NOT ONLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW
THAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS THAT
AND THE INSTRUMENT SELECTION IS
THE START OF THAT PROCESS.
BUT OUR PLANS ARE TO HAVE THIS
KEY DECISION POINT OF STARTING
THE FORMULATION BEFORE THE END
OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
HOW MUCH IS THE TOTAL MISSION
COST?
THAT, I THINK, WAS YOUR NEXT
QUESTION.
WE HAVE SOME MISSION CONCEPTS,
BASIC MISSION CONCEPTS THAT
WE'RE EXPLORING IN GREAT DETAIL
THAT MEAN THE MISSION PERHAPS IS
ON THE ORDER OF $2 BILLION
WITHOUT THE LAUNCH VEHICLE IN
THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
IS THAT NOW THAT WE MADE THE
SELECTION OF THE INSTRUMENTS,
WE'LL BEGIN THE ACCOMMODATIONS
ON OUR MISSION CONCEPT.
WE'LL MOVE THE WHOLE ACTIVITY
INTO FORMULATION AND GET REALLY
SERIOUS ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF THE
MISSION.
WE WON'T REALLY HAVE A DETAILED
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT COST
PROFILE IS UNTIL WE ARE FURTHER
ALONG IN THE PROCESS.
SO, TO ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR
QUESTIONS, HOW MUCH IS THE
INSTRUMENTS?
WHAT HAVE WE SELECTED COSTING?
FOR THAT, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO
CURT NIEBUR TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA
OF THE COST ON THE INSTRUMENTS.
>> SO, OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO,
WE'LL BE SPENDING ABOUT $10
MILLION TOTAL ON THE
INSTRUMENTS.
OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS IT
COMES TO ABOUT 100 MILLION, $110
MILLION TOTAL ON THE
INSTRUMENTS.
THAT WILL GET US TO THE POINT
WHERE WE REACH A KEY DECISION
POINT WHERE WE DECIDE IF WE'RE
GOING TO CONTINUE ON WITH THE
INSTRUMENTS, IF SOME OF THEM ARE
NO LONGER READY AND NEED TO ARE
VISIT THEM.
BUT IN ABOUT THREE YEARS WE'LL
BE READY TO COMMIT TO THE FULL
COST ESTIMATE FOR THOSE
INSTRUMENTS.
>> ONE MORE QUESTION FROM THE
PHONE LINES BEFORE GOING TO
SOCIAL MEDIA.
JEFF FAUST FROM SPACE NEWS.
JEFF?
>> Caller: I WANTED TO POSE A
QUESTION TO IRENE, THE HOUSE IS
PUSHING A FAIRLY AGGRESSIVE
SCHEDULE IN ITS APPROPRIATIONS
BILL SEEKING TO LAUNCH THE
EUROPA MISSION BY 2022.
IS IT REASONABLE THAT THESE
INSTRUMENTS SELECTED TODAY WOULD
BE READY FOR FLIGHT BY 2022?
THANKS.
>> GIVEN THE SCHEDULES THAT THE
INSTRUMENTS PROVIDED US AND THE
TIME THEY NEED, THEY CAN BE
READY IN THE EARLY 2020s.
THAT'S ALSO DEPENDING UPON HOW
MUCH MONEY IS IN THE BUDGET FOR
US TO GIVE THEM FOR THAT WORK.
>> OKAY.
WE'LL TAKE ONE MORE QUESTION
FROM THE PHONE LINES.
THIS IS FROM MIKE WAHL OF
SPACE.COM.
MIKE?
>> THANKS FOR DOING THIS.
COULD ANY OF THESE INSTRUMENTS
THEORETICALLY FIND SOME SIGNS OF
ALIEN LIFE IF ANY DOES EXIST ON
EUROPA?
IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT SORTS
OF THINGS COULD IT BE CAPABLE OF
PICKING UP?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THEY COULD FIND INDICATIONS OF
LIFE, BUT THEY'RE NOT LIFE
DETECTORS.
IN DISCUSSING THIS QUESTION OVER
THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS WHAT
BECAME CLEAR IS THAT WE DON'T
HAVE A LIFE DETECTOR.
WE CURRENTLY DON'T EVEN HAVE
CONSENSUS AMONG THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY AS WHAT WE WOULD
MEASURE THAT WOULD TELL
EVERYBODY WITH CONFIDENCE THIS
THING YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS
ALIVE.
SO, BUILDING A LIFE DETECTOR IS
INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.
WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE HOW GO
ABOUT BUILDING IT YET.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS
RECEIVED NEW INVESTIGATION, AND
THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL BE
POKING INTO IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
>> THANKS, CURT.
NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KEN
KRAEMER FROM UNIVERSE TODAY.
>> Caller: THANK YOU FOR TAKING
MY QUESTION AND DOING THIS
BRIEFING.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS.
ONE, I WONDERED, DEPENDING ON
THE BUDGET, YOU COULD ADD MORE?
ALSO, WONDERING ON THE MASS
SPEC, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IS
THE MAX RANGE IT CAN DETECT?
IS THERE A KYRO ANALYZER, AND
HOW LONG ARE THE SPACE FLIGHTS?
>> THE ISSUE WITH THE NUMBER OF
INSTRUMENTS IS NOT REALLY MONEY,
IT'S REAL ESTATE ON THE
SPACECRAFT.
YOU HAVE TO ROOM TO BOLT THEM
ON, THE MASS AVAILABLE, AND THE
POWER AVAILABLE TO TURN THEM ON.
THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY
CONSIDERATIONS THAT DRIVE THE
SIZE OF THE PAYLOAD.
YOU ASKED ABOUT THE MASS
SPECTROMETER, THIS MEASURES FROM
1 TO 1,000 DALTONS.
THE CASSINI MASS SPECTROMETER IS
BETWEEN 50 AND 100 DALTONS.
THE MASS RESOLUTION OF THIS MASS
SPECTROMETER IS PHENOMENAL.
IT'S INCREDIBLY CAPABLE MASS
SPECTROMETER.
YOUR LAST QUESTION†-- WHAT WAS
THE LAST QUESTION?
ABOUT THE FLY-BY S, HOW MANY
WOULD BE DOING.
>> RIGHT NOW THE BASELINE
MISSION WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT
45 FLYBYS OF EUROPA.
>> THANKS, CURT.
NOW LET'S TAKE SOME QUESTIONS
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.
HERE IS JASON TOWNSEND.
WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS ARE WE
GETTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY,
JASON?
>> A WIDE VARIETY.
CASEY DRYER ASKS HOW DOES THE
MASS RESOLUTION OF MASS
SPECTROMETER COMPARE TO CASSINI
AND WHAT CAN THIS DETECT THAT
CASSINI CAN'T?
>> I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THE
NUMBERS.
THERE'S NOT MUCH OF A
COMPARISON.
THE MASS SPECTROMETER FOR
CASSINI WAS EXCELLENT FOR WHEN
IT WAS BUILT, THE EARLY 1990s.
THE MASS SPECTROMETER WE
SELECTED TODAY IS VERY ADVANCED,
AND IT HAS BENEFITTED FROM A
SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT FROM NASA
OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS.
SO THE MASS RESOLUTION FOR WHAT
WE SELECTED BLOWS EVERYTHING
ELSE OUT OF THE WATER.
THAT'S WHY WE SELECTED IT.
>> NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM
JASON MAJOR WHO ASKS WHAT ARE
THE ANTICIPATED LAUNCH DATE FOR
THE EUROPA MISSION?
HOW LONG WOULD THE TRIP TAKE?
HOW LONG COULD THE MISSION RUN?
>> RIGHT NOW, ONCE WE MOVE INTO
FORMULATION, WE EXPECT IT TO BE
LAUNCHED IN THE 2020s.
WHETHER IT'S MID OR EARLY OR
LATER.
THAT NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT
BASED ON A MUCH FIRMER COST
ESTIMATE AND A PROFILE THAT
WOULD SUPPORT IT.
THAT'S WHAT FORMULATION IS ALL
ABOUT.
PUTTING ALL THOSE RESOURCES
TOGETHER AND GETTING SERIOUS
ABOUT A MAJOR DESIGN AS WE MOVE
FORWARD.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THIS NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM
TWITTER USER BRADLEY.
WHAT DROVE THE DECISION TO GO
STRAIGHT TO A NINE-INSTRUMENT
MISSION COMPLIMENT AND SKIP A
PHASE A?
>> ORIGINALLY WE CONSIDERED A
TWO-STEP PROCESS.
WHICH MEANS IF YOU'RE GOING TO
FLY ONE CAMERA YOU SELECT TWO OR
THREE OR FOUR OF THEM.
AND YOU GIVE THEM SOME MONEY AND
TIME TO DO SOME WORK TO REDUCE
THEIR RISK.
ADDRESS THE TECHNICAL
CHALLENGES.
WHAT WE FOUND WHEN WE REVIEWED
THESE PROPOSALS IS IN EVERY
CATEGORY OF INSTRUMENT THAT WE
WANTED TO FLY, ONE WAS READY TO
GO NOW.
IN MOST CASE THERE'S WERE MORE
THAN ONE THAT WERE READY TO GO
NOW.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY
INSTRUMENTS THAT NEEDED
ADDITIONAL WORK.
WE HAD INSTRUMENTS READY TO MOVE
INTO FORMULATION NOW WITH A HIGH
DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE THEY WOULD
BE READY FOR FLIGHT IN THE
2020s.
>> I THINK PART OF THAT IS
BECAUSE WE DID INVEST OVER THE
PAST FEW YEARS IN A TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM FOR ICY WORLDS TO BE
READY FOR THIS NEXT STEP.
WE FOUND THAT'S BEEN HIGHLY
VALUABLE AND ALLOWED US TO GO TO
A ONE-STEP PROCESS.
>> NEXT QUESTION FROM THE
USTREAM USER, SERGIO.
ARE LASER COMMUNICATIONS GOING
TO BE USED IN THIS MISSION?
CURRENTLY THE BASELINE MISSION
DOES NOT USE LASER COMMUNICATION
THAT WOULD BE DEEP SPACE OPTICAL
COME.
REALLY DEEP.
WE TESTED IT FROM HERE TO THE
MOON.
WE HAVE NOT TESTED DEEP SPACE
OPTICAL COM FROM HERE TO MARS.
JUPITER IS AT FIVE ASTRONOMICAL
UNITS AWAY, THE EARTH IS ONE
ASTRONOMICAL UNIT AWAY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO
UTILIZE OPTICAL COMMUNICATION
FOR THE OUTER PLANET DARE
MISSIONS.
THAT'S A WONDERFUL†SET OF
TECHNOLOGIES WE WOULD LOVE, AND
MISS DIRECTORATE IS WORKING WITH
US IN THIS AREA, BUT THE NEXT
STOP IS PROBABLY MARS RATHER
THAN EUROPA FOR DEEP SPACE
OPTICAL COM.
>> ONE OF THE CHALLENGES TO KEEP
IN MIND WHEN WE GO DO EUROPA IS
JUPITER'S MAG IN THEIC FIELD
IS†-- THERE'S A JUPITER WIND.
AS WE LOOK AT TECHNOLOGIES TO
SUPPORT THE MISSION, WE WANT TO
TAKE LOW-RISK ON THE SPACECRAFT,
SO THAT WE CAN PUT MOST OF OUR
EFFORT INTO THE INSTRUMENTS
WHICH ALSO HAVE TO SURVIVE IN
THAT HIGH RADIATION ENVIRONMENT.
LASER COM IS PROBABLY EARLY FOR
EUROPA.
>> THANKS, LET'S TAKE TWO
QUESTIONS FROM PHONE LINES.
THE FIRST QUESTION WE HAVE IS
FROM MIKE DELFIORE FROM POPULAR
MECHANICS.
MIKE?
>> Caller: I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP
ON THE MISSION DURATION, THE
LENGTH.
YOU MENTIONED 45 FLYBYS.
HOW LONG MIGHT IT TAKE?
I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN WHERE THE
INSTRUMENTS ARE BEING BUILT AND
WHEN THEY WILL START BEING
BUILT.
>> MISSION DURATION, ONCE WE GET
TO JUPITER, WE'LL SPEND ABOUT
2†1/2 YEARS DOING THOSE 45
FLYBYS.
AT THE FASTEST PACE, A FLYBY
EVERY TWO, TWO TO THREE WEEKS.
IN TERMS OF WHERE THE
INSTRUMENTS ARE BEING BUILT IT
RUNS THE GAMUT.
IT SPANS THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE INSTRUMENTS BEING BUILT
ON THE WEST COAST AT NASA
CENTERS.
WE HAVE INSTRUMENTS BEING BUILT
AT†-- IN UNIVERSITY LABS.
INSTRUMENTS BEING BUILT IN
FEDERAL RESEARCH LABS AS WELL.
IT REALLY SPANS THE COUNTRY.
WHEN WILL THEY BE BUILT?
AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THEY
START TOMORROW.
THEY WILL BE WORKING VERY HARD
EVERY SINGLE DAY UNTIL WE GET
THIS MISSION TO THE LAUNCHPAD.
THEN THEY WILL START WORKING
HARDER, THEN WE NEED TO START
FLYING THESE INSTRUMENTS AND
FLYING THEM.
>> ONE THING TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT
THE ARCHITECTURE IS THE MULTIPLE
FLYBY CONCEPT.
THIS PARTICULAR MISSION WE ARE
MOVING TOWARDS TO STAY OUT OF
THE RADIATION BELT AND ONLY BE
IN IT AS WE NEED TO, ACTUALLY
ORBITS JUPITER ITSELF.
AS IT FLIES BY, IT TAKES A
MASSIVE AMOUNT OF DATA.
AS IT MOVES OUT OF THE RADIATION
BELT AND IS CLEAR, IT THEN
BEGINS TO SEND THAT DATA BACK IN
FULL RESOLUTION.
THIS IS REALLY A SPECTACULAR WAY
OF MANAGING THE DATA.
IT ALLOWS THE SCIENTIST TO GET
ALL THE DETAILS TO TEASE OUT
EVERYTHING WE WANT.
IT ALLOWS THE PLUME CHASER TO
CONTINUE TO LOOK AT EUROPA AND
FIND POTENTIAL PLUMES THAT ON
THE NEXT PASS WE COULD
POTENTIALLY FLY THROUGH.
SO THE ARCHITECTURE IS SET SUCH
THAT WE MAXIMIZE THAT TIME WHEN
WE'RE AWAY FROM EUROPA BY
GETTING SET UP AND ALIGNING
OURSELVES AGAIN FOR THE NEXT FLY
BY TO MAXIMIZE THE SCIENCE THAT
WE WANT TO DO.
>> THANKS JIM.
ONE MORE QUESTION FROM THE PHONE
LINES.
THIS IS IRENE FROM REUTERS.
>> Caller: THANKS, COULD YOU
ELABORATE A BIT ON WHAT YOU
WOULD CONSIDER INDICATIONS OF
LIFE WITH THE SUITE OF
INSTRUMENTS SELECTED?
WHAT SORTS OF THINGS MIGHT BE
INDICATIVE OF LIFE?
ALSO, IS THERE ROOM ON BOARD THE
SPACECRAFT FOR ALL NINE OF THESE
INSTRUMENTS TO FLY OR WOULD SOME
NEED TO BE ELIMINATED?
>> I'LL TAKE YOUR EASIER
QUESTION FIRST.
YES, THERE'S ROOM ON THE
SPACECRAFT FOR ALL NINE
INSTRUMENTS WE SELECTED.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE CRITERIA WE
LOOKED AT WHEN WE MADE THE
SELECTIONS.
YOUR FIRST QUESTION ABOUT WHAT
ARE SOME OF THE POSSIBLE SIGNS
OF LIFE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO
DETECT, IT'S A DIFFICULT
QUESTION.
BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT
THOSE SIGNS WOULD BE.
IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF WE
COULD SEE CHLOROPHYLL LIKE YOU
SEE IN EARTH PLANTS.
BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SEEING
CHLOROPHYLL.
MOTHER NATURE WILL NOT BE THAT
KIND TO US.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE
FOSSILIZED BONES STICKING UP OUT
OF THE SURFACE.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
FINDING LIFE IS NUANCED,
DELICATE, DIFFICULT TO DO.
EVEN IF YOU GO OUT TO A LAKE OR
EARTH'S OCEAN AND GRAB A SCOOP
OF WATER, SIGNS OF LIFE DON'T
IMMEDIATELY JUMP OUT AT YOU.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME VERY
SMART PEOPLE SITTING AROUND
WORKING TOGETHER OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF YEARS TO BUILD UPON
THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN
DONE TO EDUCATE US IN THIS AREA.
>> THANK YOU.
NOW LET'S TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.
JASON?
>> SURE.
TWITTER USER DAVE ASKS ARE THERE
ANY INSTRUMENTS FROM THIS
PAYLOAD THAT COULD WORK FROM THE
ISIS†JUICE MISSION?
>> YES, THERE ARE.
THE ULTRAVIOLET INSTRUMENT WE
SELECTED IS A CONTRIBUTION THAT
NASA IS ALSO MAKING TO THE JUICE
PAYLOAD.
THEY'RE SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS.
SO THERE IS OVERLAP AMONG BOTH
OF THE PAYLOADS.
THEY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER
STRONGLY.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND
THAT THE JUICE MISSION IS
FOCUSED ON GANAMEDE AND
CALLISTO.
WE WILL BE FLYING BY EUROPA 45
TIMES OR MORE.
>> THIS NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM
DR. LEO HERE WHO ASKED WHAT KIND
OF PROPULSION AND CRAFT WILL
TAKE THE INSTRUMENTS MENTIONED
TO EUROPA?
ADDITIONALLY CROW ASKS WHAT WILL
BE THE POWER SOURCE FOR THE
SPACECRAFT?
>> THE SPACECRAFT WILL BE SOLAR
POWERED.
WE WILL HAVE SOLAR PANELS ON
THIS MISSION, LIKE WE DO FOR THE
JUNO MISSION WHICH WILL REACH
JUPITER IN ABOUT A YEAR.
IT WILL BE CHEMICAL PROPULSION.
STANDARD PROPULSION SYSTEMS THAT
NASA USES FOR THE MAJORITY OF
ITS SCIENCE MISSIONS.
WE WILL BURN THE ENGINE HARD,
HOT, AND GET THERE AS FAST AS WE
CAN.
>> THE NEXT QUESTION FROM
TWITTER USER RYAN.
IS ANYTHING ACTUALLY LANDING?
IF SO, WILL IT BE ABLE TO SEND A
PROBE INTO THE OCEAN?
>> AT THIS STAGE, WE ARE DOING
SOME STUDIES, VERY ELEMENTARY
STUDIES ABOUT LANDING MISSIONS.
IN PLANETARY SCIENCE WE MAKE A
VERY IMPORTANT PROGRESSION OF
FLYBY, ORBIT, LAND, ROVE, RETURN
SAMPLES.
WE DO THAT IN A DELIBERATE WAY.
THOUGH GALILEO GAVE US THE
TANTALIZING GLIMPSES OF WHAT
EUROPA IS LIKE, THE MULTIPLE
FLYBYS WILL GIVE US A GLOBAL
UNDERSTANDING.
TO BE ABLE TO GET DOWN TO THE
SURFACE IS A HUGE STEP AFTER
THAT.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW IN ANY
DETAIL ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS TO
LAND ON A VERY CORRUGATED
SURFACE OR WHERE WE WOULD NEED
TO GO.
WE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF
RESEARCH TO DO IN THAT
PARTICULAR AREA.
THOUGH WE'RE STUDYING THAT AT
MOMENT, THE RESULTS OF THOSE
STUDIES WON'T BE KNOWN TO US
UNTIL LATER THIS YEAR.
>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
KEEP IN MIND, I MENTIONED THAT
GALILEO GAVE US A LIMITED AMOUNT
OF PICTURES OF THE SURFACE OF
EUROPA.
WE ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE
SURFACE OF EUROPA LOOKS LIKE AT
THE SCALE OF THIS TABLE, IF IT'S
SMOOTH, ROUGH, FULL OF SPIKES
WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE SURFACE
EVEN LOOKS LIKE, IT'S DIFFICULT
TO DESIGN A LANDER THAT COULD
SURVIVE.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO TAKE
INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL.
>> FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, ANOTHER
USER ASKS WILL THERE BE ANY
ROBOTIC MISSION TO EUROPA IN THE
FUTURE TO EXPLORE LIFE?
>> YEAH, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO
THINK THE RESULTS FROM THIS
PARTICULAR WOULD LEAD IN THE
NEXT DECADE TO NEW AND EXCITING
CONCEPTS ABOUT POTENTIALLY
GETTING UNDERNEATH THE ICE
SHELL.
ONCE AGAIN, WE NEED TO REALLY
MAKE THOSE METHODICAL STEPS TO
DETERMINE IF THIS BODY CAN BE
PENETRATED IN A WAY TO GET UNDER
THE ICE SHELL.
THAT'S, INDEED, IN THE DISTANT
FUTURE.
>> LAST QUESTION FROM JASON
MAJOR, WOULD THIS EUROPA MISSION
BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION
ON OTHER MOONS AND JUPITER AS
WELL?
>> IT CAN.
THESE INSTRUMENTS ARE FAIRLY
VERSATILE.
THEY'RE VERY MUCH DESIGNED TO
OPERATE ON THAT THAT FLYBY MODE
JIM MENTIONED THIS IS THE MF
MISSION.
IF WE CHOOSE TO POINT THE
SPACECRAFT AT OTHER TARGETS LIKE
GANYMEDE OR CALISTO, THESE
INSTRUMENTS WOULD WORK THERE AS
WELL.
THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT
FOR TODAY.
KEEP THOSE QUESTIONS COMING
WITH #ASKNASA.
ALL THE INFORMATION YOU HEARD
TODAY AND MORE IS AVAILABLE AT
GO.NASA.GOLF/EUROPANEWS.
THANK YOU ALL.
ALL THE PANELISTS FOR JOINING
US.
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.
