Giant Geysers On Europa; Planetary Society Wants Robotic Mission ASAP

[Nibb31]

The US military budget is of no consequence, and money well spent (though it could be better spent on readiness rather than keeping thousands of generals and admirals in their leather swivel chairs in the Pentagon).

Funny how blowing up civilians in foreign countries is money well spent, but schools, roads, food stamps, healthcare or public transport are seen as frivolities for the entitled.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Nibb31

[John FX]

Isn`t it heated by Jupiters gravity squishing it when it orbits?

It would be funny if the lander was blasted of the surface of Europa after the driller pierces the crust and water starts shooting out into the vacuum. Way more funnier than if it lands on solid ground covered by ice and the driller stops at a certain shallow depth.

That would be hilarious. An entire moon full of water you can`t get to because you drill, and it goes BOOM!

Edited December 16, 2013 by John FX

[peadar1987]

Here, you guys, Libertarianism just hasn't been given enough of a chance. Sure, it's been a social disaster every time people have tried to implement it even a little bit, but once the Police Department Inc. bring in a £20-per-prevented-mugging fee (payable within 5 working days, try our easy payment plan! Discount for muggings only partially prevented.), then the trickle-down of wealth will really start. We don't need no Gummint!

[Themohawkninja]

Were their any other elements in the emission/absorption lines? I mean, I assume that they actually know that it's water coming off the surface, and not something else, right?

[czokletmuss]

Wat.

Discussion about military spending in thread about Europa? Stop this please before someone make some bad puns about EU military! Let's concentrate on Science, okay?

[toric5]

anyone seen the movie europa report? good, scientifically accurate, IOM, the most farfetched thing is the buget for a manned mission.

[Camacha]

Cost of the average flagship mission: 1.1 billion.

Annual amount of money spend on perfumes in the US and EU: 12 billion.

Annual amount of money spend on cat food in the US and EU: 17 billion.

US military budget in 2011: 664.8 billion.

Tell me more how space exploration is bleeding you dry.

What are your sources? I would love to use this comparison.

[maccollo]

What are your sources? I would love to use this comparison.

I don't know about the last 3, but as for flag ship mission costs you could take Curiosity as an example, which would be as big a flagship mission as they come.

The total cost for the whole thing was 2.5 billion US dollars spread out over the course of 8 years.

source: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?InFlight=1&MCode=MarsSciLab&Display=ReadMore

[John FX]

I don't know about the last 3, but as for flag ship mission costs you could take Curiosity as an example, which would be as big a flagship mission as they come.

The total cost for the whole thing was 2.5 billion US dollars spread out over the course of 8 years.

source: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?InFlight=1&MCode=MarsSciLab&Display=ReadMore

Cost of the Iraq war per month (at the height) for the USA? $25 Billion... (including post combat medical etc)

One month. Not 8 years...

Total inflation adjusted cost of the Apollo Program - $100 Billion (4 months of Iraq war)

Just to put this in perspective...

Edited December 18, 2013 by John FX

[jwenting]

Cost of the Iraq war per month (at the height) for the USA? $25 Billion... (including post combat medical etc)

One month. Not 8 years...

Total inflation adjusted cost of the Apollo Program - $100 Billion (4 months of Iraq war)

Just to put this in perspective...

And now adjust the cost of Apollo for the lawyers, lawsuits, liability insurance, etc. etc. that would have to be added to run it today and you're up into the tens of trillions of dollars.

[Kilmeister]

And now adjust the cost of Apollo for the lawyers, lawsuits, liability insurance, etc. etc. that would have to be added to run it today and you're up into the tens of trillions of dollars.

It's called "Progress"...

[richard8000milesaway]

An entire moon full of water you can`t get to because you drill, and it goes BOOM!

drilling into the surface ice of Europa and controlling the pressures therein are not difficult engineering problems, assuming the tensile strength of the surface ice would support the equipment. in fact, we drill into very high pressures regularly with todays technology at my job: we deploy our BOP/LMRP to the ocean bottom before drilling into the hydrocarbon formations and utilize very high pressure (15,000 psi) liquids to control flow rates.

[Kinglet]

If someone sends a mission, it could only be china or ESA. (If ESA gets funding, which could be possible, unlike NASA getting lots of funding.)

[Skyler4856]

If there are oceans beneath europa's surface I wonder what the Cherenkov radiation is like