Mission to Europa Gets Green Light on This Week @NASA – June 19, 2015

TL;DR

NASA advances its mission to investigate Europa's habitability and discusses astrobiology research and technology. Agreements with European partners for Mars missions are signed. Updates on the Asteroid Grand Challenge and robotic systems for asteroid exploration are provided. Deputy Administrator Dava Newman visits Langley Research Center. NASA's TRMM spacecraft re-enters Earth's atmosphere. West Virginia University team wins NASA's Sample Return Robot Challenge.

Transcript

“Here’s some of the stories trending This Week at NASA!” A new NASA mission to investigate the habitability of Jupiter's ocean moon Europa has moved from the concept phase to the development phase known as formulation, after successfully completing its first major review by the agency. Europa is considered to be one of the best places in the solar ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤘 Europa's potential habitability makes it a prime target for NASA's mission to search for signs of life.
• 🖐️ Astrobiology research and technology play a crucial role in advancing our understanding of habitable worlds.
• 🌍 International partnerships, such as those with France and Spain, strengthen NASA's Mars exploration efforts.
• ❓ The Asteroid Grand Challenge highlights NASA's commitment to protecting Earth from asteroid threats.
• 👾 Robotic systems are critical for future asteroid exploration missions and other space exploration endeavors.
• 💚 Deputy Administrator Dava Newman's visit emphasizes NASA's focus on green aviation technologies.
• 🎟️ NASA's TRMM spacecraft concludes its mission after providing valuable insights into rainfall patterns.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the purpose of NASA's mission to investigate Europa's habitability?

The mission aims to search for signs of present-day life beyond Earth, as Europa is considered one of the best places in the solar system for potential habitability.

Q: What topics were discussed at the Astrobiology Science Conference?

Astrobiology research and technology related to the search for habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond were discussed. Mars, Europa, Saturn's moon Enceladus, and exoplanets were among the topics.

Q: What agreements were signed between NASA and European partners?

One agreement involves the French space agency providing structural support for the SuperCam on NASA's Mars 2020 rover. The other extends cooperation with Spain on various Mars missions, including the Mars Curiosity rover and the InSight and Mars 2020 missions.

Q: What updates were provided on the Asteroid Grand Challenge and robotic systems for asteroid exploration?

The Asteroid Grand Challenge aims to find all asteroid threats to human populations. The progress on the Asteroid Robotic Redirect Mission (ARRM), as well as the development of robotic systems for asteroid exploration, was discussed.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• NASA's mission to investigate the habitability of Jupiter's moon Europa moves from concept phase to development phase after a successful review.

• Astrobiology research and technology are discussed at the 2015 Astrobiology Science Conference, focusing on the search for habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond.

• NASA signs agreements with European partners for cooperation on Mars missions, including the Mars 2020 rover and the InSight mission.

• Updates on the Asteroid Grand Challenge and the development of robotic systems for asteroid exploration are provided at Goddard Space Flight Center.

• Deputy Administrator Dava Newman visits Langley Research Center and tours a Boeing ecoDemonstrator aircraft for research on green aviation technologies.

• NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission re-enters Earth's atmosphere after studying rainfall patterns for weather and climate research.

• West Virginia University team wins NASA's Sample Return Robot Challenge by successfully completing Level 2 of the autonomous sample return mission.