Could there be fossils on the surface of Europa, Jupiter’s storied moon that Arthur C. Clarke harshly warned Sapiens not to attempt a landing on? NASA is building an antenna that will take that long journey aboard its Europa Clipper, a spacecraft that will conduct detailed reconnaissance to see whether the icy orb could harbor conditions suitable for life. Scientists believe there’s a massive salty ocean beneath Europa’s icy surface that reaches 100 kilometers below the base of the ice –a depth 10 times greater than the Marianas Trench.
One of the most interesting mysteries about Europa is happening at the boundary of the rocky core and the ocean. The answer has profound effects on the type of world that Europa ultimately is. The Clipper’s antenna will beam back high-resolution images and scientific data from Europa Clipper’s cameras and science instruments and perhaps a profound answer.
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