From: g_d_pusch_remove_underscores@xnet.com   
   Copy: itsjustahing@hotmail.com   
      
   "Kelly Goode"  writes:   
      
   > I keep reading that there designs being made for rovers being sent to   
   > Europa.  Why do you need to have an ice melting lander?  Couldn't you   
   > impact a large object into Europa and hope it breaks through the ice   
   > layer?   
      
   No, since the ice layer is likely to be _AT LEAST_ 3 to 4 kilometers thick,   
   and possible thicker --- so unless your "large object" is the size of a   
   small asteroid, it is rather unlikely to penetrate the ice. I do not expect   
   to see "Impacting large asteroids into Europa" as a line item in NASA's   
   or the ESA's budget any decade soon.   
      
      
   > Another option could be detonating hydrogen bombs on one specific area   
   > to melt through the ice.  After that was accomplished we could send down   
   > from the orbiter, the ocean explorer rover.   
      
   Notwithstanding the fact that your proposal would violate several   
   international arms-control treaties, it would be rather pointless,   
   since in addition to destroying a good bit of Europan real-estate,   
   it would also destroy many of the things one would like to study during   
   such a mission, such as the possibility of making measurements of the   
   structure and composition of the ice as the probe descends through it,   
   and any life that might _formerly_ have existed under the ice before   
   you blew it all to h*!!  And again, the size of H-Bomb required to   
   penetrate 3--4 km of ice would be rather prohibitive.   
      
      
   -- Gordon D. Pusch   
      
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