tecoyah Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 This could be the first step in something truly fascinating... time for the real fun to start. http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=96361 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed84c Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 would a Europa mission not have been a more worthy project? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilded Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 Europa is a chemist's daydream, sulfuric acid all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 would a Europa mission not have been a more worthy project? Not if you are interested specifically in Titan, no. RTFA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed84c Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 Rtfa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 Read the flerking article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed84c Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 read it still no clues to RTFA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tecoyah Posted October 23, 2004 Author Share Posted October 23, 2004 Plans are in place for a Europa mission as well, but more study of the technology needed to get below the surface is in progress. The I dea behind the Titan mission is to use the moon as a template of early earth atmospheric conditions. Much of the interest is the possible liquid state of the surface, and the chemical reactions possible because of it. Carl Sagan ran a series of experiments with a simulated Titan atmosphere, charged by electicity (simulated lightning) and the results were a complex organic compound (tholins) that had major simularities to RNA. It is possible, though not extermely likely, that the surface has the basic components of life. I am hopeful, but not overly enthusiastic that we will find something of great interest there. I do agree that the underlying oceans of Europa may have at least as much chance of creating life, due primarily to the heat created by tidal fluctuations created by Jupiter, but far more Data is required before a mission would have an acceptable chance of success. Edit- RTFA= Read the Freakin Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed84c Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 lol ok, well this has happened before when I asked people what lol stood for and then asked them to stop laughing at me............... anyway i had allready read it sayanora but i wa just makin a point that Europa would also seem important, and thanks tecoyah for clearing that one up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayonara Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 Titan is more accessible than Europa because the interesting bits are not covered with a vast crust of ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilded Posted October 23, 2004 Share Posted October 23, 2004 It would also be interesting to see what Io's insides are made of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tecoyah Posted October 23, 2004 Author Share Posted October 23, 2004 Agreed....Io is the only body that has shown dramatic surface change in human timeframes. It is unlikely we could build a craft capable of withstanding the radiation and particle hits in the orbit of Io at this time.....perhaps within a couple decades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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