A mathematical group of scientists has derive up with a proposal to crash a investigation into one of the glacial moons of the Solar System , as a means to finding out more about their surfaces .
Led by Peter Wurz from the University of Bern in Switzerland , their theme is available to read in a pre - print paper onarXiv .
They suggest that an impact probe , similar to those used on some past missions , could help us learn a fate more about moons like Europa , which is intend to have an icy carapace obliterate a melted water ocean below .
“ The descent probe has the potential to provide a gamey science comeback to a foreign mission at a low extra level of complexness , engineering endeavour , and risk , ” the authors write .
send in tandem with an orbiter or other space vehicle , such as NASA ’s upcomingEuropa Clipperon which a lander has been consider , they say their small probe call the Europa Descent Probe ( EDP ) could be deployed by the mother space vehicle on arrival , hitting the target world and let out cloth underneath .
“ A lander is much more complex , thus wild , much heavier , and much more expensive than a descent probe , ” Wurz narrate IFLScience . " A lander is typically a mission by itself and is the ultimate finish in planetary exploration . A origin investigation would be much flashy and would be an addition to flyby missionary post . ”
The probe , cost about $ 116 million , would be less than 100 kilograms ( 220 pounds ) in mass , and it would travel towards the control surface at a high fastness of 4 kilometers ( 2.5 stat mi ) per secondly after being released by the space vehicle . It would be cube - work , with four thrusters directing it towards its target impact site .
The investigator say it could be potential to use this probe to take images and measurements up to 1 kilometre ( 0.6 mile ) from the airfoil of another eubstance . This would admit detecting the presence of a lean atmosphere ( exosphere ) and measuring the local magnetic field strength .
While it could be used for a number of world , the team in particular looked at Europa . Here , they say the probe could consider thewater plumesat the south pole in even more detail than before .
After the EDP had slammed into the surface , its orbiting mother spacecraft could study the produced crater , fix a look at what the surface and sub - Earth’s surface is made of .
There are of course erratic protection rules to be wary of , namely that we can not foul other worlds with terra firma - establish germ . The space vehicle would therefore need to be clean to an super mellow spirit level , something the team says is possible .
We ’ve used decline investigation like this several time before , including Philae on the Rosetta missionary post , Huygens on the Cassini mission , and NASA’sDeep Impact missionto comet Tempel 1 .
Wurz allege their proposal of marriage had been presented to ESA and NASA but had not yet been select . “ Perhaps it will be selected , perhaps for another moon , ” he said .
“ There are many objects in the Solar System where the skill restoration of a mission could be significantly improved by the gain of a descent investigation , ” he continued , noting that Neptune and its large moon Triton was an challenging destination .
