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longship

(40,416 posts)

38. This probe will not be landing on Europa.

Fri Jun 19, 2015, 04:34 PM

Jun 2015

And BTW, the Curiosity rover is powered by an RTG, and it is on Mars, which is another place there may be life. And also, RTGs are pretty damned safe. And I don't think Mars will mind a few kg of Pu238 left there. Likewise Europa, but again, this mission will not be landing. Like they are going to do with the Cassini probe, they'll fly it to crash into Saturn when the mission ends, mainly to prevent bacterial infection from Earth.

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NASA: We Are Going to Europa [View all] onehandle Jun 2015 OP

Interesting. secondvariety Jun 2015 #1

That might be difficult. drm604 Jun 2015 #2

Solar Power still practical at Jupiter tsites Jun 2015 #14

So you agree with me. drm604 Jun 2015 #15

Rubbish, absolute rubbish. longship Jun 2015 #4

RTG's are more fore the science packages and heating of electronics. Blue State Bandit Jun 2015 #6

Or when solar power is not available. longship Jun 2015 #7

Haven't read it. On Europa, we won't be spitting ions to get around. What are the amp hours? Blue State Bandit Jun 2015 #8

Well, there are a whole lot of planetary probes running on RTGs. longship Jun 2015 #9

They've been ballistic for decades. Blue State Bandit Jun 2015 #10

250 watts is one third horsepower. truthisfreedom Jun 2015 #11

You need a minimum of 3HP just to get around, and if we hit a strong current... Blue State Bandit Jun 2015 #17

Who (or what) are the Voyager probes fucking? The Stranger Jun 2015 #31

My point secondvariety Jun 2015 #36

This probe will not be landing on Europa. longship Jun 2015 #38

Life on Mars? secondvariety Jun 2015 #40

I don't know about sentient life. longship Jun 2015 #42

Europa is the size of Earth's Moon, and bathed in solar radiation NickB79 Jun 2015 #41

Solar secondvariety Jun 2015 #43

The sun is nuclear, you want to stop that too? without "nuclear powered stuff" we'd have no Cassini Baclava Jun 2015 #23

I was going to say that just about everything in space with any energy is nuclear. The Stranger Jun 2015 #32

Radiation is why humans aren't now in deep space, we are weak and needy, robots will rule the stars! Baclava Jun 2015 #35

And if you were substantially closer secondvariety Jun 2015 #39

If life is found on Europa, the creationists will go apeshit. Archae Jun 2015 #3

Facts don't matter to those people iandhr Jun 2015 #5

If they find a monolith on Europa, *I'll* go apeshit Blue_Tires Jun 2015 #20

If they find apeshit on Europa I'll go apeshit. The Stranger Jun 2015 #33

if life is found the creationists will say the devil put it there to confuse us. Javaman Jun 2015 #24

Actually, they will probably launch a screed about Europeans, Jamastiene Jun 2015 #27

! LOL Javaman Jun 2015 #28

We have them figured out already. Jamastiene Jun 2015 #29

depends Snow Leopard Jun 2015 #34

They will find a loophole in their holy books daleo Jun 2015 #44

Europa, Titan and Enceledus are the three best places in the solar system to look for life. StevieM Jun 2015 #12

Fox News renews the call for Freedom Fries because France is in Europa n/t Kennah Jun 2015 #13

best reply in thread. LOL Javaman Jun 2015 #25

... Jamastiene Jun 2015 #26

This is so cool... n/t Little Tich Jun 2015 #16

How warm are those oceans? Veldrick Jun 2015 #18

Depends on the depth, I would imagine. benEzra Jun 2015 #30

Evidently NASA didn't see the movie... Blue_Tires Jun 2015 #19

They are going to be so pissed when we get there. onehandle Jun 2015 #21

Bummer, no landing, just flybys Baclava Jun 2015 #22

Better to listen to Dave (Bowman). The Stranger Jun 2015 #37