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Title: NASA Pulls the Plug on Jupiter-Moon Lander, So Scientists Propose
Landing It on Saturn

Link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/06/08/2...

"NASA engineers have spent the past decade developing a rugged, partially
autonomous lander designed to explore Europa, one of Jupiter's most
intriguing moons," reports Gizmodo. But though NASA "got cold feet over the
project," the engineers behind the project are now suggesting the probe could
instead explore Enceladus, the sixth-largest moon of Saturn: Europa has long
been a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial biology because
scientists suspect it harbors a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust,
potentially teeming with microbial life. But the robot - packed with
radiation shielding, cutting-edge software, and ice-drilling appendages -
won't be going anywhere anytime soon. In a recent paper in Science Robotics,
engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) outlined the design and
testing of what was once the Europa Lander prototype, a four-legged robotic
explorer built to survive the brutal surface conditions of the Jovian moon.
The robot was designed to walk - as opposed to roll - analyze terrain,
collect samples, and drill into Europa's icy crust - all with minimal
guidance from Earth, due to the major communication lag between our planet
and the moon 568 million miles (914 million kilometers) away. Designed to
operate autonomously for hours at a time, the bot came equipped with
stereoscopic cameras, a robotic arm, LED lights, and a suite of specialized
materials tough enough to endure harsh radiation and bone-chilling cold....
According to the team, the challenges of getting to Europa - its radiation
exposure, immense distance, and short observation windows - proved too
daunting for NASA's higher-ups. And that's before you take into consideration
the devastating budget cuts planned by the Trump administration, which would
see the agency's funding fall from $7.3 billion to $3.9 billion. The lander,
once the centerpiece of a bold astrobiology initiative, is now essentially
mothballed. But the engineers aren't giving up. They're now lobbying for the
robot to get a second shot - on Enceladus, Saturn's ice-covered moon, which
also boasts a subsurface ocean and has proven more favorable for robotic
exploration. Enceladus is still frigid, but `has lower radiation and better
access windows than Europa.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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