Mars is the place that most of our spacecraft, landers and rovers are studying, searching for any evidence that life ever existed somewhere else in the Solar System.
But talk to planetary scientists, and they’re just as excited about the ocean worlds of the Solar System; the moons, asteroids, dwarf planets and Kuiper Belt objects where there could be vast oceans of liquid water under thick shells of ice.
The perfect environment for life to thrive.
We’ve only had tantalizing hints that these oceans are there, but NASA is building a spacecraft that will study one of these worlds in detail: the Europa Clipper. And they’re not the only ones. The European Space Agency is building their own mission, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer.
Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/
Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio
What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G
Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter
Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/
Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg
Support us at: http://www.patreon.com/universetoday
More stories at: http://www.universetoday.com/
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/fcain
Follow us on Twitter: @universetoday
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universetoday
Instagram - https://instagram.com/universetoday
Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com
References:
https://europa.nasa.gov/about-europa/ocean/
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/galileo/overview/
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6772
https://europa.nasa.gov/about-clipper/instruments/
https://spacenews.com/europa-or-enceladus-if-nasa-switches-from-sls-to-falcon-heavy-it-wont-have-to-choose/
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7122
https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP00/20190522/109552/HMKP-116-AP00-20190522-SD002.pdf
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/05/without-champion-europa-lander-falls-nasa-s-back-burner
https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/10/18075556/jupiter-moon-europa-lander-nasa-john-culberson-midterms-life
https://newatlas.com/europa-giant-ice-spikes/56704/
http://sci.esa.int/juice/49837-juice-assessment-study-report-yellow-book/#
http://sci.esa.int/juice/50068-science-objectives/
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/ganymede/in-depth/
http://sci.esa.int/juice/61415-arianespace-and-esa-announce-jupiter-icy-moons-explorer-launch-contract/