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Probe designed to melt into Europa's ice
Bremerhaven (UPI) March 15, 2004 Researchers in Germany are testing a probe that could melt through Europa's ice sheet to analyze the water below for microbial life. Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, has an ice covering as much as 18 miles deep and the probe being tested can melt through ice at about 6 feet per hour. However, significant engineering challenges remain, the BBC reported Monday. The prototype, based on a design pioneered by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany, is a 90-inch-long hollow aluminum cylinder with a copper melting head powered by an electrical cable. Scientists believe with some improvements -- the melting head of the probe could be powered by a radioactive heating unit instead of an electrical cable and an external power source -- the concept could provide the answer for the Europa lander. All rights reserved. Copyright 2004 by United Press International. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by United Press International. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of by United Press International. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Space
Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India. |
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