> Purely speculative question here. Let's say it's 100-200 years in the =
> future. We've got the funding, and are going to drop a submersible through
=
> the ice to study Europa's ocean for several months at a time. Four person =
> crew. What would the scientific specialties of the crewmembers be in order
=
> to have as broad a research base as possible? What types of instruments =
> would be indespensable on the submersible?
I'd suppose such a mission wouldn't be 100-200 years in the future, but more
like 30. Anything more than 30 years from now is beyond speculation in any
event, since human society may be entirely different by that point -- genetic
and social engineering being what it is.
Anyway, I'm no space scientist, but I'd assume you'd want a biochemist,
someone to tinker with the chemical soup of Europa, and determine if there
ever was or could be a life form there, and what possible uses humans could
make of the Europan chemical mix. Of course, a lot of data could simply be
gathered and sent back to Earth via beam-link for further analysis, but you'd
really want someone knowledgeable to know where to look.
I'd also assume you'd want someone skilled in ice, in all its various forms.
We've speculated that Europan ice may be entirely different than Terrestial
ice, because it has formed in low-G, and may have structural changes from
flashfreezing and no pressure.
I'd assume you'd want someone that would know how to pilot the craft, and
could innovate. We don't know if Europan ice features giant sulfur deposits,
boulders, etc, so the pilot must be a seat-of-the-pants tunnel borer /
submariner.
Lastly, I'd think you would want a crew and instruments tender. That is,
someone to look after the computers, machinery, etc, and also help to keep
the crew happy and friendly, in a crazy environment... after all, imagine the
supreme isolation and fear induced by being buried under 50 kilometers of
ice, 400 million miles from Earth.
>
> And on an unrelated note, speculation is that the ocean is extrememly =
> heavy in salts and sulfuric acid, right? So what would Europan seawater =
> smell like if exposed to air? Sulphur stink? Ordinary saltwater? Or =
> something else entirely?
Sulfur dioxide? What impact would sulfur and water ice have, if/when
energized by radiation?
I'd imagine Europa is getting plenty of carbon, as well as water and sulfur.
Carbon, presumeably, would come from being bombarded with chondrites, at the
least.
-- JHB
>
> Jayme Lynn Blaschke
==
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