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donzzler t1_issoq1m wrote

I don’t think NASA would ever drill into the oceans of Europa or Enceladus due to the risk of contamination. I would love to see it though.

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Dungeonmancer t1_issps6u wrote

There are geysers that shoot off into space that can be collected without drilling.

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donzzler t1_issura1 wrote

I believe that the Cassini mission already did this

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Dungeonmancer t1_ist05gb wrote

I believe you're right.

There are other ways to collect seawater without risking contamination, is my point. There was also a plan to drill a core, allow it to fill up and freeze, then extract the ice from the tube and study it that way. I'm not sure what the precautions against contamination are, but NASA has a department dedicated to keeping earth microbes out of possible extraterrestrial systems.

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Wide-Escape-5618 OP t1_ists453 wrote

Imagine swimming around down there😮

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Hercusleaze t1_isudscg wrote

The water would be inky black due to no light penetrating the ice, and unimaginably deep. I would get anxious just watching footage from an autonomous submersible, nevermind being in a crewed submarine. Swimming there? Nah.

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grchelp2018 t1_isu8e36 wrote

Surely the radiation on the surface of europa would sterilise any instrument.

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