HR: 0800h
AN: P21B-0533    [Abstracts]
TI: The Science Goal and Objectives of Europa Explorer
AU: * Greeley, R
EM: greeley@asu.edu
AF: Arizona State University, Box 871404, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States
AU: Pappalardo, R T
EM: robert.pappalardo@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, United States
AU: Clark, K B
EM: Karla.B.Clark@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, United States
AU: Science Definition Team, E
EM: EuropaSDT@jpl.nasa.gov
AB: Europa's icy surface is believed to hide a global subsurface ocean. The moon is sparsely cratered, implying that it is most likely geologically active today. The molecular constituents of life have rained onto Europa throughout solar system history, are created by radiation chemistry at its surface, and may pour from vents at the ocean floor. With water, energy, and biogenic elements, Europa appears to have the "ingredients" necessary for life. An orbital Europa mission is the first step in understanding the satellite's potential habitability. The Europa Science Definition Team has developed the goal, objectives, and investigations of the Europa Explorer mission, using input from the previous science definition teams and community groups. The NRC planetary science Decadal Survey summarizes the inherent motivation for Europa exploration by its fundamental science question: Where are the habitable zones for life in the solar system, and what are the planetary processes responsible for producing and sustaining habitable worlds? Europa exploration should permit hypothesis testing while enabling discoveries and emphasizing themes of habitability and processes. It follows that the recommended overall goal of the Europa Explorer mission is: Explore Europa and investigate its habitability. Flowing from this goal are five Priority 1 objectives: (A) Europa's Ocean: Characterize the ocean and deeper interior; (B) Europa's Ice Shell: Characterize the ice shell and any subsurface water, and the nature of surface-ice-ocean exchange; (C) Europa's Chemistry: Determine global surface compositions and chemistry, especially as related to habitability; (D) Europa's Geology: Understand the formation of surface features, including sites of recent or current activity, and identify and characterize candidate sites for future in-situ exploration; (E) Europa's External Environment: Characterize the magnetic environment and moon-particle interactions. A single Priority 2 objective is: (F) Europa's Neighborhood: Determine how the components of the Jovian system operate and interact, leading to potentially habitable environments in icy moons. For each objective, several investigations are associated, and all can be rigorously addressed from orbit with the Europa Explorer mission.
DE: 6218 Jovian satellites
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting