spacetoday.net: Report analyzes scientific priorities for Europa lander

Posted: Fri, Aug 9, 2013, 7:01 AM ET (1101 GMT)
Europa (NASA/JPL)

A report by a group of scientists published this week discusses the scientific goals of a future, albeit unfunded, mission to land on Jupiter's moon Europa. The report, prepared by scientists at several NASA centers and universities, determined the top priority of a future Europa lander would be to study the composition of of reddish "freckles" and cracks on the moon's icy surface, in particular to see of those materials are organic in nature. Other priorities include measurement of geological activity on the surface and characteristics of liquid water that exist below the surface. the study, published in the journal Astrobiology, is not tied to any particular mission concept, and NASA has no plans for the foreseeable future to send a spacecraft to land there.