Sharp, Blade-Like Structures Almost 15 m High On Europa – Problem For Spacecraft To Land

Previous space missions have already identified Europa as one of the likeliest destinations for harboring life in our solar system, most notably because of the large seas of liquid water underneath its surface.

In a new study published today in Nature Geoscience scientists state that any potential landing mission may have to navigate hazardous obstacles known as ‘penitentes‘ before touching down on Europa’s surface.

“The unique conditions of Europa present both exciting exploratory possibilities and potentially treacherous danger,” lead author of the research Dr Daniel Hobley, from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, said in a press release.

“The presence of sharp, blade-like structures towering to almost 15 meters high would make any potential landing mission to Europa extremely precarious.

Penitentes are tall sharp-edged blades and spikes made of snow and ice that point towards the midday sun. They form through a process known as sublimation, which requires bright, sustained sunlight as well as cold, dry and still air.

Sublimation is a process through which ice turns directly into water vapour without melting into a liquid first. When sublimation occurs, these distinctive blade-like formations are left behind.

Penitentes are present on Earth and grow to between 1 to 5 meters tall, but they are restricted to high-altitude tropical and subtropical conditions, such as in the Andes.

Europa however has the perfect conditions necessary for penitentes to form more uniformly. The penitentes could potentially grow to around 15 metres tall with a spacing of around 7.5 meters between each one and especially around Europa’s equator.

No spacecraft has yet landed on Europa; however, NASA intends to undertake a number of flybys around the moon with the Europa Clipper, which will be launched in 2022. It is believed a landing mission could follow soon after.

“We hope that studies like ours will help the engineers to develop innovative ways of delivering landers safely on Europa’s surface so that we can find out even more about this fascinating place, and potentially look for signs of extra-terrestrial life,” Dr Hobley added.

MessageToEagle.com