Comments on: Want to know a lot more about Jupiter’s moons? https://habitablezone.com/2023/01/11/want-to-know-a-lot-more-about-jupiters-moons/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:45:24 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DanS https://habitablezone.com/2023/01/11/want-to-know-a-lot-more-about-jupiters-moons/#comment-51744 DanS Thu, 16 Mar 2023 19:00:52 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=98660#comment-51744 Cool! (n/t) Cool! (n/t)

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2023/01/11/want-to-know-a-lot-more-about-jupiters-moons/#comment-51534 BuckGalaxy Thu, 12 Jan 2023 05:29:54 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=98660#comment-51534 Here's a mission that absolutely should piggy back on one or both of those missions. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2022.943594/full" rel="nofollow">Icy Moon Penetrator Organic Analyzer Post-Impact Component Analysis </a> <blockquote>A cluster of IceShIP canisters could ride on an orbiting vehicle to be deployed at varying time intervals to achieve significant geographical distribution without the need for roving capabilities. A high reduction in payload size, weight, and power, and thus mission costs, could be achieved with microfluidic-based analytical instruments on a penetrator module in this study. All electrical and optical components tested in this work are currently commercially available and can be housed inside custom-machined manifolds to survive the large accelerations experienced during impact events. Impact-resistance, miniaturization, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness are pivotal for high-g load penetrator space-flight missions. This work satisfies these key aspects and demonstrates technology for a novel design for astrobiological in situ instrumentation.</blockquote> Here’s a mission that absolutely should piggy back on one or both of those missions.

Icy Moon Penetrator Organic Analyzer Post-Impact Component Analysis

A cluster of IceShIP canisters could ride on an orbiting vehicle to be deployed at varying time intervals to achieve significant geographical distribution without the need for roving capabilities. A high reduction in payload size, weight, and power, and thus mission costs, could be achieved with microfluidic-based analytical instruments on a penetrator module in this study. All electrical and optical components tested in this work are currently commercially available and can be housed inside custom-machined manifolds to survive the large accelerations experienced during impact events. Impact-resistance, miniaturization, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness are pivotal for high-g load penetrator space-flight missions. This work satisfies these key aspects and demonstrates technology for a novel design for astrobiological in situ instrumentation.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2023/01/11/want-to-know-a-lot-more-about-jupiters-moons/#comment-51532 ER Thu, 12 Jan 2023 04:40:41 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=98660#comment-51532 I've been following the philosophy behind these Jovian Ice moon missions over on centauri-dreams.com, and it isn't quite that easy. We don't know how to design a mission to search directly for life because we're not quite sure what we'll find on the surface when we get there, or exactly what it is we're looking for. For example, packing a microscope we need to have some idea what kind of organism we expect, and its size and weight will rule out other, potentially more useful experiments. Do we gather a sample from the surface? Do we drill down through the ice? Do we fly through geyser plumes? Do we sample water flowing out through those cracks? No matter what we do, it will require big, heavy, delicate and highly specialized experimental payloads designed for a specific strategy. These preliminary missions will tell us HOW to design future missions, depending on what they find. I often question NASA's overall exploration strategy, but I think the tactics of each individual missi9n is usually very well thought out. I’ve been following the philosophy behind these Jovian Ice moon missions over on centauri-dreams.com, and it isn’t quite that easy. We don’t know how to design a mission to search directly for life because we’re not quite sure what we’ll find on the surface when we get there, or exactly what it is we’re looking for. For example, packing a microscope we need to have some idea what kind of organism we expect, and its size and weight will rule out other, potentially more useful experiments. Do we gather a sample from the surface? Do we drill down through the ice? Do we fly through geyser plumes? Do we sample water flowing out through those cracks? No matter what we do, it will require big, heavy, delicate and highly specialized experimental payloads designed for a specific strategy. These preliminary missions will tell us HOW to design future missions, depending on what they find.

I often question NASA’s overall exploration strategy, but I think the tactics of each individual missi9n is usually very well thought out.

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