Europa-Priority over future Mars missions?

[Architeuthis]

lWhen it comes to the search for life in our own solar system why has NASA always put such a high priority on Mars and not the jovian moon Europa? We know it is ice covered (water ice or is it possibly methane ice?) It has evidence of volcanic activity and in therory the radiation from Jupiter and volcanic activity within this moon might provide the heat for a possible liquid ocean.
Our oceanographers have discovered in our own planets abyss, 'black smokers', hydrothermal vents thousands of feet under the surface of the ocean supporting entire ecosystems thriving in total darkness, extream temperatures and toxic chemicals. I could be wrong, but was it not believed until the seventies that photosynthesis that was needed in order for life to start? There is no sunlight in the deep.
In my own humble opinion I think NASA should hold off on future Mars missions and take a closer look at Europa.

No degree, just a workin man who always looks up at night. Thanks!

[cjl]

In part, it is because it is significantly easier and faster to get to Mars than to get to Europa.

[Glom]

It is true that something Europa needs more exploration. I believe JPL keeps trying to coming up with missions to the place, but they keep getting cancelled.

As cjl says, it's far easier to get to Mars than to get to Europa. It's also easier to get the information you want from Mars than from Europa. What we seek at the latter is beneath the ice sheet. It'll take easier direct invasive action or fancy instruments to explore the underworld. With Mars, you can get a lot from just a plain ol' camera.

Also, Mars is known to everyone, whereas Europa isn't. (As people to name a moon of Jupiter and see the confused expression on their face.) So it's easier to get funding from politically minded purse string holders.

[djellison]

The next flagship is Europa-centric. Can't get much more focused than that. It takes so long to get there - than learning from mission to mission, what to study next, just takes a damn long time.

i.e. Mars Odyssey launches, finds H2, Phoenix Launched, studies H2O in situ. That was an 8 year process, two missions, one reacting to the other. It could easily be twice or treble that for the outer planets.

[01101001]

Outer Planet Flagship Mission

In February 2008, ESA and NASA initiated joint studies of two alternatives for a highly capable scientific mission to the outer planets: one to the Jupiter system focused on the moons Europa and Ganymede and the other to the Saturn system focused on Titan. [...]
The agencies reached a joint decision on the destination for the first mission and announced this decision on February 18, 2009.They prioritized the targets with Jupiter-Europa-Ganymede to come first and Titan-Saturn to come next. NASA and ESA are now working together on the Europa Jupiter System Mission concept with a nominal 2020 launch date. NASA is continuing to develop the technologies for a Titan mission with Titan risk reduction and focused studies targeted at a later launch date.

Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM)

Start lobbying now if you want a Europa lander, maybe rover, mission circa 2050, and a followup Europa submarine mission for 2100. You'll be more persuasive if you have actual gathered data to make your priority case(s), though, so you can't rush it.

[Glom]

I tried Googling Image a Europa lander hoping it would come up with a cartoon featuring Eric the Penguin. Didn't find anything. Returned some nice pictures of Europa though. It's quite pretty in its own way.

[djellison]

You'll be more persuasive if you have actual gathered data to make your priority case(s), though, so you can't rush it.

Bingo - this is what the Europa flagship is about. Taking our understanding of Europa up an order or two of magnitude so we can understand how/what to do next.

[ugordan]

Bingo - this is what the Europa flagship is about. Taking our understanding of Europa up an order or two of magnitude so we can understand how/what to do next.

Dear Lord, I hope my nightmares about it finally launching X years from now and then miserably failing for one reason or another don't come true. Those failures are crippling enough for the Mars program, I can't even begin to imagine how long it would take to recover from a major outer planet flagship failure.