Turning Europa space odyssey into science fact
December 8th 2008 14:27
One of my favorite novels of all-time is the second in Arthur C Clarke's Space Odyssey series, 2010. It wasn't a bad movie either, released in 1984, but the book really took the time to 'explore' the heavenly body at the centre of the series, Europa.
One of the biggest moons that orbits the gas giant Jupiter, Europa is completely covered in ice, a fact that gives rise to the question, could life evolve there?
Clarke's Space Odyssey centres around the discovery of a collection of black monoliths, extra-terrestrial calling cards.
In 2001 (in the book and movie), one is found by herbivore apes millions of years ago and heralds the 'dawn of man'. Then later, in the year of the title, another is dug up on our own moon and yet another seen orbiting Jupiter.
Hoping to learn more about their existence, Earth sends a ship, the Discovery, to seek out the Jupiter monolith, but of course, it's onboard computer, HAL, goes a little nutty and tries to off the crew, including `I wouldn't do that' Dave Bowman.
During the events of 2010, a rescue mission, made up of Americans and Russians, docks with an abandoned 'Discovery', but shortly after they receive a warning from a ghostly Bowman to leave because 'something wonderful is going to happen'.
That something wonderful turns out to be thousands of monoliths somehow increasing Jupiter's density until the planet achieves nuclear fusion, and becomes a small star.
On the orders of the unkown alien race, Jupiter suddenly becomes this solar system's second sun - in order for it to flame the life that lives deep below Europa's icey surface.
These aquatic creatures are deemed to have evolutionary potential by the 'creator' aliens, like we humans were millions of years ago when we were still picking lice off of each other's backs.
While monoliths and 'creator' aliens might be pushing the boundaries of reality a little bit, the possibility of microscopic life on Europa isn't. Astrobio.net has a great article on the work scientists are currently doing on the subject.
It says, "Various ideas have been proposed about how life could survive in that frigid environment. One suggestion is that hydrothermal vents, like those that dot the floor of Earth’s oceans, are also present in the Europan deep.
"NASA hopes one day to send a spacecraft to the moon’s icy waters to learn their secrets."
But it won’t be easy, they say.
"Not only will engineers need to figure out how to burrow through kilometers of ice to get to the underlying ocean, they’ll also have to teach an underwater robot how to explore a world about which neither the robot, nor the scientists who plan its mission, will have any advance knowledge.
"No mission so complex has ever before been attempted. Which is why NASA wants to get in a little practice here on Earth first.
"The goal of NASA’s ASTEP program is to support the development of technology for exploring other worlds, and to test that technology on Earth under conditions that, to the extent possible, are similar."
Read the full story here.
One of the biggest moons that orbits the gas giant Jupiter, Europa is completely covered in ice, a fact that gives rise to the question, could life evolve there?
Clarke's Space Odyssey centres around the discovery of a collection of black monoliths, extra-terrestrial calling cards.
In 2001 (in the book and movie), one is found by herbivore apes millions of years ago and heralds the 'dawn of man'. Then later, in the year of the title, another is dug up on our own moon and yet another seen orbiting Jupiter.
Hoping to learn more about their existence, Earth sends a ship, the Discovery, to seek out the Jupiter monolith, but of course, it's onboard computer, HAL, goes a little nutty and tries to off the crew, including `I wouldn't do that' Dave Bowman.
That something wonderful turns out to be thousands of monoliths somehow increasing Jupiter's density until the planet achieves nuclear fusion, and becomes a small star.
On the orders of the unkown alien race, Jupiter suddenly becomes this solar system's second sun - in order for it to flame the life that lives deep below Europa's icey surface.
These aquatic creatures are deemed to have evolutionary potential by the 'creator' aliens, like we humans were millions of years ago when we were still picking lice off of each other's backs.
While monoliths and 'creator' aliens might be pushing the boundaries of reality a little bit, the possibility of microscopic life on Europa isn't. Astrobio.net has a great article on the work scientists are currently doing on the subject.
It says, "Various ideas have been proposed about how life could survive in that frigid environment. One suggestion is that hydrothermal vents, like those that dot the floor of Earth’s oceans, are also present in the Europan deep.
"NASA hopes one day to send a spacecraft to the moon’s icy waters to learn their secrets."
But it won’t be easy, they say.
"No mission so complex has ever before been attempted. Which is why NASA wants to get in a little practice here on Earth first.
"The goal of NASA’s ASTEP program is to support the development of technology for exploring other worlds, and to test that technology on Earth under conditions that, to the extent possible, are similar."
Read the full story here.
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Comment by NoaIzumi
Fine Politics
Anime Bottle
I hope they remember to keep the probe sterile. Wouldn't want some Earth microbe hitching a ride and messing up the eco-system.