http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17917102

Quote:The European Space Agency (Esa) is to mount a billion-euro mission to Jupiter and its icy moons.

The probe, called Juice, has just been approved at a meeting of member state delegations in Paris.

It would be built in time for a launch in 2022, although it would be a further eight years before it reached the Jovian system.

(May 2, 2012 at 11:36 am)frankiej Wrote: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17917102

Quote:The European Space Agency (Esa) is to mount a billion-euro mission to Jupiter and its icy moons.

The probe, called Juice, has just been approved at a meeting of member state delegations in Paris.

It would be built in time for a launch in 2022, although it would be a further eight years before it reached the Jovian system.

Great news, I wonder what the theists will say if life is found under the ice on Europa. (maybe they will find an alien breed of talking snake!)

Great! I'll be 39 when it finally lands. That is a lot of money being put into this mission, but it is for scientific research, which I support 100%.

Awesome!

(May 2, 2012 at 4:02 pm)zebo-the-fat Wrote: Great news, I wonder what the theists will say if life is found under the ice on Europa. (maybe they will find an alien breed of talking snake!)

I've heard quite a few times people say there may be life under the ice. I'm skeptical though, seems very unlikely to me that life would thrive in an environment effectively cut off from the sun.

(May 2, 2012 at 4:30 pm)Napoleon Wrote:

(May 2, 2012 at 4:02 pm)zebo-the-fat Wrote: Great news, I wonder what the theists will say if life is found under the ice on Europa. (maybe they will find an alien breed of talking snake!)

I've heard quite a few times people say there may be life under the ice. I'm skeptical though, seems very unlikely to me that life would thrive in an environment effectively cut off from the sun.

Yes, it is a long way from the sun, but it is close to Jupiter. The gravitational "squeezing" from the giant planet will produce heat in the moons. Any life there will probably not rely on light/photosynthysis for it's energy, but could use the heat (as do some extremophyles around volcanic vents in the deep ocean here on Earth)

I'll be fucking 42. I'm never going to see any real space exploration in my lifetime. I was born a century too early.

(May 3, 2012 at 6:31 am)Mosrhun Wrote: I'll be fucking 42. I'm never going to see any real space exploration in my lifetime. I was born a century too early.

But, hopefully we will know that we will have left behind some good grounding for future generations to explore the "heavens".

Fuck the future generations. I'll be dead.

Um...42 is not dead, you know.

I look back on 42 fondly!