Just noticed this on the NASA web page http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-hold-media-call-on-evidence-of-surprising-activity-on-europa

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Perhaps they've photographed an icy plume, jetting up from the supposed under-the-ice ocean on Europa. A plume about 200 kilometers tall was thought to have been photographed in 2012, but none have been seen since then.
A plume originating in an Europa ocean could allow an orbiting mission to fly through and sample it for chemical analysis, perhaps giving some information on the possibility of life therein. Otherwise, it might be necessary to penetrate 10s of kilometers of ice to get to the supposed ocean.

Europa moon 'spewing water jets'


Hubble Finds 'Surprising' Activity on Jupiter's Moon Europa

Jupiter's moon Europa might be making it rain with water vapor plumes erupting off its surface.

NASA revealed the "surprising activity" today and said the observations came from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Europa is believed to be one of the most likely places in the solar system that could harbor life. The discovery of possible water jets spraying from the moon's surface is particularly exciting for scientists.

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/hubble-finds-surprising-activity-jupiter-s-moon-europa-n654701

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The water jets are estimated to spray as high as 125 miles

What would cause that?

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

What would cause that?

Low gravity and a high steam temp. With a narrow slit acting as a venturi.

I am assuming it's water ??

Low gravity

I didn't think about that; good point, but still an amazingly high altitude.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

So, now does NASA put together a mission to Enceladus orbiting Saturn or a shorter mission to Europa orbiting Jupiter? Or both?

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

So, now does NASA put together a mission to Enceladus orbiting Saturn or a shorter mission to Europa orbiting Jupiter? Or both?

Both:

http://www.space.com/30419-alien-life-search-enceladus-mission.html

The agency already plans to launch a spacecraft toward the Jupiter moon Europa in the early to mid-2020s, and it's mulling a mission to the Saturn satellite Enceladus that would lift off by the end of 2021

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