NASA plans mission to Jupiter's extraordinary moon Europa - CNET (STA BREAKING NEWS and ARCHIVES)

by Theresa , Tuesday, February 03, 2015, 16:14

NASA's administrator confirms the space agency is moving ahead with plans to send a spacecraft to Europa, a moon that may hide a vast ocean under its icy surface.

Mars is nifty. It's fascinating. It's red and rocky and we currently have a couple of high-tech rovers checking it out. But it's no Europa.

Jupiter's intriguing moon may be iced over, but scientists suspect there's a massive ocean underneath. Researchers have even spotted what they believe to be water vapor plumes venting from the moon's south pole. If the theories hold true, then Europa may give us a great opportunity for finding the building blocks of life beyond Earth in our solar system.

At last, NASA is taking a big leap in its plans to go there. Speaking in his annual State of NASA address Monday, administrator Charles Bolden said, "Looking to the future, we're planning a mission to explore Jupiter's fascinating moon Europa, selecting instruments this spring and moving toward the next phase of our work."

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