Design of a Surface Lander Module to Explore Europa's Habitability

Abstract

Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter, is one of the few locations in the solar system considered to have the potential to harbor life as we know it. However, it remains largely unexplored, with no spacecraft having ever touched down on its surface. This thesis outlines the design of an autonomous module for a Europa lander mission, equipped with a cable-suspended ice core drill and an onboard science laboratory sensor suite. Utilizing Raman and tunable laser spectroscopy, the module will analyze the oxygen concentration in Europa's ice crust at depths of up to 41 meters, as well as characterize the molecular composition of theorized salt brine chains embedded within the ice. Current theories suggest that Europa's subsurface liquid water ocean could support microbial or even more advanced life, but a majority of them rely on the assumption that the ocean is consistently oxygenated via the transport of molecules from the surface of the moon to the ocean through its ice shell. With its collected data, the lander module may be able to prove or disprove these theories, allowing researchers to design more targeted missions to investigate Europa's habitability in the future.