Jupiter-moon Europa might be covered in ice spikes

[qeveren]

The obvious solution is, of course... don't land on the equator. XD

[ultimatevirus]

How about using a giant airbag? (if it doesn't work, add more rockets!)

[NGTOne]

Well, why not something like the girder structures in KSP? Something that will "catch" on the spikes, possibly with levelling hydraulics, so that it can just land on them non-destructively?

[Tommygun]

I can think of two possibilities: Design a ball probe where the right side up is not important, just land it reasonably softly.

As long as it can get its probes out in the lower gravity to do tests that's fine.

The second is harder, but has a lot of benefits to other mission to other planet or moons.

If NASA can get a penetrator probe to work and have enough worthwhile science from it, the ice spikes are less of an issue.

I would be happy if they could just get something on the surface that can do some kind of acoustic sounding to determine the ice thickness.

I think penetrator probes working in groups might be good for this. The impact of one probe sends out sound waves though the ice that another probe measures to get an image of what's underneath the ice.

[TheGeoninja]

I would imagine using some sort of lander that would either slowly heat the surface or would have some sort of shielding on the bottom like a drop-pod so it could smash into the ice without serious damage to any scientific components.

[Godot]

This is a Jupiter Moon Europa ... it is adorned with hanging rings of spacedust and covered with menacing spikes of ice

on its surface there is graved a picture of a Jupiter Moon Europa and a Kerbal Lander ...

the Jupiter Moon Europa is striking a menacing pose, the Kerbal Lander is making a plaintive gesture

Edited November 18, 2013 by Godot

[Psycix]

The steam rocket exhaust hits Europa moon of Jupiter in the surface, burning the soil through the menacing spikes of ice.

The steel =landing leg= glances off Europa moon of Jupiter's eastern hill slope, 56th valley, scratching the !!ice!! and hacking through a spike, the severed celestial body part sails off in an hyperbolic escape trajectory.

(If you have no clue what these posts are on about, you have never played Dwarf Fortress.)

[BigFatStupidHead]

Europa has been struck down.