Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T18:57:00.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Europa Lander Mission: A Challenge to Find Traces of Alien Life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2010

Lev Zelenyi ,
Oleg Korablev ,
Elena Vorobyova ,
Maxim Martynov ,
Efraim L. Akim  and
Alexander Zakahrov
Lev Zelenyi
Affiliation:
Space Research Institute (IKI), Moscow, Russia, Fax: +7 495 3331248
Oleg Korablev
Affiliation:
IKI email: [email protected]
Elena Vorobyova
Affiliation:
Space Research Institute (IKI), Moscow, Russia, Fax: +7 495 3331248 IKI email: [email protected]
Maxim Martynov
Affiliation:
Lavochkin Assosiation, Russia
Efraim L. Akim
Affiliation:
Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Russia
Alexander Zakahrov
Affiliation:
Space Research Institute (IKI), Moscow, Russia, Fax: +7 495 3331248
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

An international effort dedicated to science exploration of Jupiter system planned by ESA and NASA in the beginning of next decade includes in-depth science investigation of Europa. In parallel to EJSM (Europa-Jupiter System Mission) Russian Space Agency and the academy of Science plan Laplace-Europa Lander mission, which will include the small telecommunication and science orbiter and the surface element: Europa Lander. In-situ methods on the lander provide the only direct possibility to assess environmental conditions, and to perform the search for signatures of life. A critical advantage of such in situ analysis is the possibility to enhance concentration and detection limits and to provide ground truth for orbital measurements. The science mission of the lander is biological, geophysical, chemical, and environmental characterizations of the Europa surface. Remote investigations from the orbit around Europa would not be sufficient to address fully the astrobiology, geodesy, and geology goals. The science objectives of the planned mission, the synergy between the Europa Lander and EJSM mission elements, and a brief description of the Laplace-Europa Lander mission are presented.

Keywords

EuropaJupiterGalilean satelliteshabitabilityspace research
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 6 , Symposium S269: Galileo's Medicean Moons: their impact on 400 years of discovery , January 2010 , pp. 115 - 129
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

References

Abyzov, S. S. 1993, In Antarctic Microbiology (Ed. Friedmann, E.), Wiley & Sons, New York, USA, pp. 265–295.Google Scholar
Anderson, J. D., Schubert, G., Jacobson, R. A., Lau, E. L., Moore, W. B., & Sjogren, W. L. 1998, Science, 281, 2019–2022.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balint, T. 2004, JPL report D30050, 60 p. NASA JPL/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, September 22Google Scholar
Billings, S. E. & Kattenhorn, S. A. 2005, Icarus 177, 397–412CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blanc, M., Alibert, Y., Andre, N., et al. 2009, Experimental Astronomy, 23, 849–892CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castello, J. D. & Rogers, S. O. 2005, Life in ancient ice, Princeton Univ. Press. 307 pCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chyba, C. & Sagan, C. 1992, Nature, 355, 125–132CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chyba, C. F. 2000, Nature, 403, 381–382CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chyba, C. F. & Phillips, C. B. 2002, Europa as an Abode of Life. Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere, 32, 47–68Google Scholar
Clark, K., Greeley, R., Pappalardo, R., & Jones, C. 2007, Europa Explorer Mission Study: Final Report, JPL report D41283.Google Scholar
Clark, K., Stankov, A., Pappalardo, R. T., Greeley, R., Blanc, M., Lebreton, J.-P., & van Houten, T. 2009, The Europa Jupiter System mission, 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March 23–27, The Woodlands, Texas, id.2338Google Scholar
Cody, G. D. et al. 2000, Science, 289, 1337–1340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colburn, D. S. & Reynolds, R. T. 1985, Icarus, 63, 39–44CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conrad, P. G. & Nealson, K. H. 2001, Astrobiology, 1, 15–24CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, J. F., Philips, C. B., Green, J. R., Wu, X., Carlson, R. W., Tamppari, L. K., Terrile, R. J., Johnson, R. E., Eraker, J. H., & Markis, N. C.Europa exploration: science and mission priorities, The future of solar system exploration, 2003–2013, ASP conference series, v.272, Sykes, M. V., ed., 2002.Google Scholar
Figueredo, P. H. & Greeley, R. 2004, Icarus, 167, 287–312CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hand, K. P. & Chyba, C. F. 2007, Icarus, 189, 424–438CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoppa, G. V., Tufts, B. R., Greenberg, R., & Geissler, P. E. 1999, Science, 285, 1899–1902CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hussmann, H., Spohn, T., & Wieczerkowski, K. 2002, Icarus, 156 (1), 143–151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gershman, R. 1999, Conceptual design of a Europa Lander mission, IEEE Aerospace conference, v.1, pp. 421–431CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gershman, R., Nilsen, E., & Oberto, R. 2003, Acta Astronautica, 52, 253–258CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilichinsky, D. A., Wilson, G. S., Friedmann, E. I., et al. 2007, Astrobiology, 7, 275–311CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gowen, R. A., Smith, A., Fortes, A. D., et al. 2010, Adv. Space Res., in press.Google Scholar
Greeley, R., Sullivan, R., Klemaszewski, J. et al. 1998a, Icarus, 135, 4–24CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greeley, R., Sullivan, R., Coon, M. D., Geissler, P. E., Tufts, B. R., Head, J. W., Pappalardo, R. T., & Moore, J. M. 1998b, Icarus, 135, 25–40CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greeley, R. & Johnson, T. 2004, Report of the NASA Science Definition Team for the Jupiter Icy Moons (JIMO), Technical Report, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, February 13Google Scholar
Greenberg, R., Hoppa, G. V., Tufts, B. R., Geissler, P., Riley, J., & Kadel, S. 1999, Icarus, 141, 263–286CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenberg, R., Leake, M. A., Hoppa, G. V., & Tufts, B. R. 2003, Icarus, 161 (1), 102–126CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Irwin, L. N. & Schulze-Makuch, D. 2003, Astrobiology, 3, 813–820CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, T. V. & McCord, T. B. 1971, Astroph. J., 169, 589CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kargel, J. S., Kaye, J., Head, J. W. III, Marion, G. M., Sassen, R., Crowley, J., Prieto, O., Grant, S. A., & Hogenboom, D. 2000, Icarus, 148, 226–265CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kivelson, M. G., Khurana, K. K., Russell, C. T., Volwerk, M., Walker, R. J., & Zimmer, C. 2000, Science, 289, Is. 5483, 1340–1343CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korablev, O., Gerasimov, M., Dalton, J. B., Lebreton, J.-P., Hand, K., & Webster, C. 2010, Submitted to Ads. Space Res.Google Scholar
Kuiper, G. P. 1957, Astron. J., 62, 295–295CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuskov, O. L. & Kronrod, V. A. 2005, Icarus, 177, 550–569CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langmaier, J. & Elliott, J. 2008, JPL publication 08–1, JanuaryGoogle Scholar
Leith, A. & McKinnon, W. 1996, Icarus, 120, 387–398CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marion, G. M., Fritsen, C. H., et al. 2003, Astrobiology, 3, 785–811CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matousek, S. 2007, Acta Astronautica, 61, 932–939CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCord, T. B., Hansen, G. B., Fanale, F. P., et al. 1998, Science, 280, 1242–1245CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McEwen, A. S. 1986, Nature, 321, 49–51CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mileikowsky, C., Cucinotta, F. A., Wilson, J. W., et al. 2000, Planet. Space Sci., 48, 1107–1115CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moroz, V. I. 1965, Astronomicheskii Zhurnal, 42, 1287Google Scholar
Mukhin, L. M. 1976, Origins of Life 7, 355–368CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mukhin, L. M., Gerasimov, M. V., & Safonova, E. N. 1989, Nature, 340, 46–48CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nansen, O. L. 1975, Icarus, 26, 24–29Google Scholar
Ojakangas, G. & Stevenson, D. 1989, Icarus, 81, 242–270CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pappalardo, R. T., Belton, M. J. S., Breneman, H. H., et al. 1999, J. Geophys. Res., 104, E10, 24015–24056CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pappalardo, R. T., Clark, K., Greeley, R., et al. 2007, Europa Explorer: A Mission to Explore Europa and Investigate Its Habitability, DPS meeting #39, #28.02; Bull. American Astronomical Soc., 39, 465Google Scholar
Phillips, C. B., McEwen, A. S., Hoppa, G. V. et al. 2000, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 22579–22598CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pierazzo, E., & Chyba, C. F. 2002, Icarus, 157, 120–127CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pilcher, C. B., Ridgway, S. T., & McCord, T. B. 1972, Science, 178, 1087–1089CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Podzolko, M. V., Getselev, I. V., Gubar', Yu. I., & Veselovsky, I. S. 2009, Solar System Research, 43, 116–120CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pollack, J. B., Witteborn, F. C., Edwin, F. E., Strecker, D. W., Baldwin, J. B., & Bunch, B. E. 1978, Icarus, 36, 271–303CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prieto-Ballesteros, O., Gomez, F. et al. 2010, Adv. Space Res., submittedGoogle Scholar
Priscu, J. C.Perennially ice covered Antarctic lakes: oases for life and models for other icy worlds. Astrobiology in Russia workshop, March 25–29, 2002, St. Petersburg, Russia, p. 116–130Google Scholar
Priscu, J. C., Adams, E. E., Lyons, W. B., Voytek, M. A., Mogk, D. W., Brown, R. L., McKay, C. P., Takacs, C. D., Welch, K. A., Wolf, C. F., Kirshtein, J. D., & Avci, R. 1999, Science, 286, 2141–2144CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reynolds, R. T., Squyres, S. W., Colburn, D. S., & McKay, C. P. 1983, Icarus, 56, 246–254CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, C. 2003, The Cassini-Huygens Mission, KluwerCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sassen, R., Joye, S., Sweet, S. T., DeFreitas, D. A., Milkov, A. V., & MacDonald, I. R. 1999, Organic Geochem., 30, 485–497CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schenk, P. M. 2002, Nature, 417, 419–421CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schenk, P. M., McKinnon, W. B. 1989, Icarus, 79, 75–100CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schenk, P., Matsuyama, I., & Nimmo, F. 2008, Nature, 453, 368–371CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schilling, N., Khurana, K., & Kivelson, M. G. 2004, J. Geophys. Res. 109, doi:10.1029/2003JE002166Google Scholar
Sieger, M. T., Simpson, W. C., & Orlando, T. M. 1998, Nature, 394, 554–556CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Showman, A., & Han, L. 2004, J. Geophys. Res. 109 (E1), CiteID E01010Google Scholar
Stevenson, D. J. 2000, Science, 289, 1305–1307CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tobie, G., Choblet, G., & Sotin, C. 2003, J. Geophys. Res. 108 (E11), 10–1, doi:10.1029/2003JE002099Google Scholar
Vorobyova, E., Soina, V., Gorlenko, M., et al. 1997, FEMS Microbiol. Rev., 20, 277–290CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vorobyova, E. A., Soina, V. S., & Mulyukin, A. L. 1996, Adv.Space.Res., 15, 103–108CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, K. K., & Greeley, R. 1998, Geophysical Res. Lett., 25, 4273–4276CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitman, W. B., Coleman, D. C., & Wiebe, W. J. 1998, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 95, 6578–6583CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zahnle, K., Schenk, P., Levison, H., & Dones, L. 2003, Icarus, 163 (2), 263–289CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zahnle, K., Alvarellos, J. L., Dobrovolskis, A., & Hamill, P. 2008, Icarus, 194 (2), 660–674CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zelenyi, L. M., Zakharov, A. V., Polischuk, G. M., & Martynov, M. B. 2010a, Solar System Res., 44, 15–25CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zelenyi, L., Korablev, O., Martynov, M., et al. 2010b, Submitted to Adv. Space Res.Google Scholar
Zimmer, C., Khurana, K. K., & Kivelson, M. G. 2000, Icarus, 147 (2), 329–347CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, W. F., Shirley, James, Carlson, Robert, Rivellini, Tom, Evans, Mike, Europa Small Lander Design Concepts, American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2005, abstract #P54A-08, 2005.Google Scholar