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The
Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter is an ambitious proposed mission
to orbit three planet-sized moons of Jupiter -- Callisto,
Ganymede and Europa -- which may harbor vast oceans beneath
their icy surfaces. The mission would launch in 2012 or
later.
NASA
fact sheet
Technology
and Applications of Space Fission Reactors Systems
Use
and Safety of Space Fission Reactors Systems
Do Jupiter's Icy Moons Harbor Subsurface Oceans?
NASA's Galileo spacecraft found evidence that Jupiter's large
icy moons appear to have three ingredients considered essential
for life: water, energy and the necessary chemical contents.
The evidence from Galileo suggests melted water on Europa
has been in contact with the surface in geologically recent
times and may still lie relatively close to the surface.
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Animation
of the proposed Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter. (1:42)
RealPlayer
QuickTime
3.3 MB
10.4 MB
Simulated
flyover of Jupiter's moon Ganymede.
Video
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