An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the Other Galilean Moons of Jupiter

Abstract

We present a study of an impacting descent probe that increases the science return of spacecraft orbiting or passing an atmosphere-less planetary bodies of the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The descent probe is a carry-on small spacecraft (< 100 kg), to be deployed by the mother spacecraft, that brings itself onto a collisional trajectory with the targeted planetary body in a simple manner. A possible science payload includes instruments for surface imaging, characterisation of the neutral exosphere, and magnetic field and plasma measurement near the target body down to very low-altitudes (~1 km), during the probe's fast (~km/s) descent to the surface until impact. The science goals and the concept of operation are discussed with particular reference to Europa, including options for flying through water plumes and after-impact retrieval of very-low altitude science data. All in all, it is demonstrated how the descent probe has the potential to provide a high science return to a mission at a low extra level of complexity, engineering effort, and risk. This study builds upon earlier studies for a Callisto Descent Probe (CDP) for the former EuropaJupiter System Mission (EJSM) of ESA and NASA, and extends them with a detailed assessment of a descent probe designed to be an additional science payload for the NASA Europa Mission.

Problems Associated with Making Mechanical Measurements on Water–Ice at Quasistatic and Dynamic Strain Rates

“…Space penetrators have been suggested as a cost-effective method of placing instrumentation on an icy body in the Outer Solar System such as Europa [1][2][3]. Such probes would also be lighter and mechanically simpler than reversethruster landers and produce much less contamination of the surface it is desired to study [4].…”

Miniaturised Instrumentation for the Detection of Biosignatures in Ocean Worlds of the Solar System

“…It should not escape our attention that the basic idea of the penetrator, as a means to deliver an impacting descent probes for the Galilean moons has subsequently been extended. The alternative projectile has been suggested in order to simplify the costs and technological challenges of direct exploration of the icy surfaces of ocean worlds with landers (Wurz et al, 2017). But the possible alternative impacting probe would be an implementation of an earlier Europa Descent Probe of approximately cubic shape, unlike the traditional cylindrical penetrator.…”