Joint Europa Mission (JEM): a multi-scale study of Europa to characterize its habitability and search for extant life. (15th November 2020)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Joint Europa Mission (JEM): a multi-scale study of Europa to characterize its habitability and search for extant life. (15th November 2020)
- Main Title:
- Joint Europa Mission (JEM): a multi-scale study of Europa to characterize its habitability and search for extant life
- Authors:
- Blanc, Michel
Prieto-Ballesteros, Olga
André, Nicolas
Gomez-Elvira, Javier
Jones, Geraint
Sterken, Veerle
Desprats, William
Gurvits, Leonid I.
Khurana, Krishan
Balmino, Georges
Blöcker, Aljona
Broquet, Renaud
Bunce, Emma
Cavel, Cyril
Choblet, Gaël
Colins, Geoffrey
Coradini, Marcello
Cooper, John
Dirkx, Dominic
Fontaine, Dominique
Garnier, Philippe
Gaudin, David
Hartogh, Paul
Hussmann, Hauke
Genova, Antonio
Iess, Luciano
Jäggi, Adrian
Kempf, Sascha
Krupp, Norbert
Lara, Luisa
Lasue, Jérémie
Lainey, Valéry
Leblanc, François
Lebreton, Jean-Pierre
Longobardo, Andrea
Lorenz, Ralph
Martins, Philippe
Martins, Zita
Marty, Jean-Charles
Masters, Adam
Mimoun, David
Palumba, Ernesto
Parro, Victor
Regnier, Pascal
Saur, Joachim
Schutte, Adriaan
Sittler, Edward C.
Spohn, Tilman
Srama, Ralf
Stephan, Katrin
Szegő, Károly
Tosi, Federico
Vance, Steve
Wagner, Roland
Van Hoolst, Tim
Volwerk, Martin
Wahlund, Jan-Erik
Westall, Frances
Wurz, Peter
… (more) - Abstract:
- Abstract: Europa is the closest and probably the most promising target to search for extant life in the Solar System, based on complementary evidence that it may fulfil the key criteria for habitability: the Galileo discovery of a sub-surface ocean; the many indications that the ice shell is active and may be partly permeable to transfer of chemical species, biomolecules and elementary forms of life; the identification of candidate thermal and chemical energy sources necessary to drive a metabolic activity near the ocean floor. In this article we are proposing that ESA collaborates with NASA to design and fly jointly an ambitious and exciting planetary mission, which we call the Joint Europa Mission (JEM), to reach two objectives: perform a full characterization of Europa's habitability with the capabilities of a Europa orbiter, and search for bio-signatures in the environment of Europa (surface, subsurface and exosphere) by the combination of an orbiter and a lander. JEM can build on the advanced understanding of this system which the missions preceding JEM will provide: Juno, JUICE and Europa Clipper, and on the Europa lander concept currently designed by NASA (Maize, report to OPAG, 2019). We propose the following overarching goals for our Joint Europa Mission (JEM): Understand Europa as a complex system responding to Jupiter system forcing, characterize the habitability of its potential biosphere, and search for life at its surface and in its sub-surface and exosphere.Abstract: Europa is the closest and probably the most promising target to search for extant life in the Solar System, based on complementary evidence that it may fulfil the key criteria for habitability: the Galileo discovery of a sub-surface ocean; the many indications that the ice shell is active and may be partly permeable to transfer of chemical species, biomolecules and elementary forms of life; the identification of candidate thermal and chemical energy sources necessary to drive a metabolic activity near the ocean floor. In this article we are proposing that ESA collaborates with NASA to design and fly jointly an ambitious and exciting planetary mission, which we call the Joint Europa Mission (JEM), to reach two objectives: perform a full characterization of Europa's habitability with the capabilities of a Europa orbiter, and search for bio-signatures in the environment of Europa (surface, subsurface and exosphere) by the combination of an orbiter and a lander. JEM can build on the advanced understanding of this system which the missions preceding JEM will provide: Juno, JUICE and Europa Clipper, and on the Europa lander concept currently designed by NASA (Maize, report to OPAG, 2019). We propose the following overarching goals for our Joint Europa Mission (JEM): Understand Europa as a complex system responding to Jupiter system forcing, characterize the habitability of its potential biosphere, and search for life at its surface and in its sub-surface and exosphere. We address these goals by a combination of five Priority Scientific Objectives, each with focused measurement objectives providing detailed constraints on the science payloads and on the platforms used by the mission. The JEM observation strategy will combine three types of scientific measurement sequences: measurements on a high-latitude, low-altitude Europan orbit; in-situ measurements to be performed at the surface, using a soft lander; and measurements during the final descent to Europa's surface. The implementation of these three observation sequences will rest on the combination of two science platforms: a soft lander to perform all scientific measurements at the surface and sub-surface at a selected landing site, and an orbiter to perform the orbital survey and descent sequences. We describe a science payload for the lander and orbiter that will meet our science objectives. We propose an innovative distribution of roles for NASA and ESA; while NASA would provide an SLS launcher, the lander stack and most of the mission operations, ESA would provide the carrier-orbiter-relay platform and a stand-alone astrobiology module for the characterization of life at Europa's surface: the Astrobiology Wet Laboratory (AWL). Following this approach, JEM will be a major exciting joint venture to the outer Solar System of NASA and ESA, working together toward one of the most exciting scientific endeavours of the 21st century: to search for life beyond our own planet. Highlights: In this article we are proposing that ESA collaborates with NASA to design and fly jointly an ambitious planetary mission: the Joint Europa Mission (JEM). The JEM observation strategy will combine three types of scientific measurement sequences. The implementation of these three observation sequences will rest on the combination of two science platforms. We describe a science payload for the lander and orbiter that will meet our science objectives. We propose an innovative distribution of roles for NASA and ESA. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Planetary and space science. Volume 193(2020)
- Journal:
- Planetary and space science
- Issue:
- Volume 193(2020)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 193, Issue 2020 (2020)
- Year:
- 2020
- Volume:
- 193
- Issue:
- 2020
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2020-0193-2020-0000
- Page Start:
- Page End:
- Publication Date:
- 2020-11-15
- Subjects:
- Outer planets exploration -- Search for life -- Jupiter system -- Ocean moon -- Habitability
Space sciences -- Periodicals
Atmosphere, Upper -- Periodicals
Sciences spatiales -- Périodiques
Haute atmosphère -- Périodiques
523 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00320633 ↗
http://www.elsevier.com/journals ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1016/j.pss.2020.104960 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0032-0633
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 6508.320000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 14742.xml