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| Jupiter's icy moon Europa |
NASA’s 2016 budget request includes $30 million for a
dedicated mission to Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, considered one of the best
prospects for discovering life in our solar system. NASA’s Robert Pappalardo
the pre project scientist for the Europa Clipper probe concept said “This is a
big deal, we’re moving towards the next phase, where you’re a real mission. It’s
just thrilling after 15 years of pushing for it.” NASA has already begun
preliminary work on such a mission but it was missing a commitment to further
funding. Now, it has requested $225 million over the next five years, and plans
to select science instruments in the spring.
The mission is likely to involve multiple flybys from a spacecraft
rather than landing on the moons surface."Europa is a very challenging mission operating in a really high radiation environment, and there's lots to do to prepare for it," NASA chief financial officer Beth Robinson told reporters Tuesday. "We're looking for a launch some time in the mid-2020s."
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