NASA Pulls the Plug on Europa Lander, but Scientists Propose a Plan B

NASA engineers spent a solid, partially autonomous place designed to explore Europa, one of the most interesting verses of Jupiter in the last ten years. The space agency took cold feet on the project, but engineers are already targeting a new space for the probe: Enceladus.

Europa, Scientists suspect Lorbor suspect, was a long time in search of biology abroad Underground ocean under the ice crust, which is full of microbe life. However, a robot filled with radiation protective, advanced software and ice drilling supplements, will not go anywhere.

In the last paper Science RobotechnicalEngineers in the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) recorded the design and test of those who once European lands The prototype is the four-legged robot presenter built to live the conditions of the brutal surface of the Jovian. Robot walks, collect patterns, collect patterns and collect europa with europa’s icy shells for the minimum leadership between the cover of our planet and 568 million miles (914 million kilometers).

In one hour, the bot is equipped with a large set of stereoscopic cameras, robot levers, LED lights and tough radiation and bone cold to endure. Temperatures per month, about -210 degrees Fahrenheit (-134 degrees Celsius), up to the equator to -370 degrees F (-223 degrees C) in the features.

After the annual development – in JPL’s laboratories, developed simulations and tests, including a recent area test in the ice-terrain in Alaska. He was ready to buy the frosty border of the solar system. However, the space agency has already taken the plug on the mission.

According to the team, the problems of European-its radiation, the problems of reaching great distance and short observation windows were very awesome for higher levels of NASA. And before taking into account that Destructive budget cuts The agency’s financing is scheduled for Trump management planned by the Trump Office, which fell from $ 7.3 billion to $ 3.9 billion. Lander, once the center of the brave astrobiology initiative, now is essentially mothballed.

But engineers do not give up. Now a second shot of the robot is lobbying to get a second shot with Saturn’s ice-covered bear boasts an underground ocean and proved to be more affordable for robot intelligence. Enceladus is still frigid, but has lower radiation and better access windows from Europa.

It is noted that the ice browsing is not received a new rent in the semi-autonomous life. However, the robot approached a month, and though relatively stiff and claves, it deserves this moment.