In its quest to find out whether or not Jupiter's moon Europa has conditions that are suitable for life, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected nine science instruments that it intends to use to find alien life on the icy moon.
The U.S. space agency has revealed how a spacecraft bound for Europa will help determine if the moon has the right conditions to sustain life as many scientists believe. The mission will carry with it nine instruments that were specifically designed to determine if Europa is indeed habitable.
Europa program scientist Curt Niebur announced that the instruments chosen from 33 proposals are as follows:
1. Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS) - This instrument will measure the thickness of Europa's ice shell believed to be up to 10 kilometers thick as well as salinity and depth of the moon's ocean.
2. Interior Characterization of Europa using Magnetometry (ICEMAG) - A magnetometer for measuring the magnetic field near the extraterrestrial moon in collaboration with the PIMS. Using multi-frequency electromagnetic sounding, this tool with infer the salinity, thickness and location of the moon's subsurface ocean.
3. Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE) will probe Europa's composition. It will also map and identify the distribution of materials such as organics, salts, water ice phases and acid hydrates to determine if the moon's ocean is habitable.
4. Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON) will sound and characterize the moon's icy crust so as to reveal the hidden structure of the ice shell and possible water within Europa.
5. Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS) is a heat detector that will give high spatial resolution and thermal imaging of Jupiter's moon for detection of vents that eject water into space and other active sites.
6. MAss SPectrometer for Planetary EXploration/Europa (MASPEX) will measure the tenuous atmosphere of Europa. It will also gather data on the surface materials that are spewed into space to determine what composes the surface and subsurface of the moon's ocean.
7. Ultraviolet Spectrograph/Europa (UVS) will adopt a similar technique employed by NASA's Hubble in order to detect the existence of water plumes that erupt from Europa's surface. It will likewise offer information about the dynamics and composition of the moon's atmosphere.
8. SUrface Dust Mass Analyzer (SUDA) will make measurements of particles that are expelled from Europa.
9. Europa Imaging System (EIS) will map out the moon at 50 meter resolution and provide images of Europa's surface.
