NASA looks for life on Jupiter's moon NASA looks for life on Jupiter's moon (August 13, 2004)

Ames scientist studies geology of Europa

By Julie O'Shea

NASA is planning a mission to Jupiter for 2011. While that's nearly seven years away, scientists in Mountain View and Oregon have already begun developing a system that could find life beneath the ocean of one of the distant planet's many moons.

But before the search for extraterrestrial life can begin on the ice-covered moon of Europa, scientists must build a strong case for the multi-million-dollar expedition.

Part of the plan, said NASA Ames' Michael Flynn, is to find organisms here on Earth that could potentially exist on other planetary bodies. Such organisms would have to be ones that don't depend on photosynthesis to survive.

NASA has enlisted the help of Adam Schultz, a professor at Oregon State University, who has extensively studied hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Earth's ocean floor.

It is in these volcanic sections of the ocean Flynn said he and his colleagues hope to find organisms that might be able to survive on Europa, which has an ocean and possible volcanic activity beneath its surface.

Over the past 25 years, scientists have studied whether any life on Earth can survive merely on volcanic gases alone.

"It's been in the last decade that we really nailed it," said Schultz, who has developed an instrument that can monitor and collect chemical and biological data in remote, harsh places.

Called the "Medusa," the device, which is about the size of a large footlocker, has been designed to look for life that doesn't need sunlight to fuel itself.

"It's not clear that these life forms exist," said Flynn, the principle investigator for the advanced life support at Ames. Hopefully, Flynn added, "Medusa" will be able to answer that question. And once that happens, scientists will have their justification for looking for life on the Galilean moon.

In all likelihood, "Medusa" might be used on the surface of Mars long before the Jupiter mission launches. Flynn said the federal government has taken a keen interest in the Red Planet, and NASA has been trying to launch a mission to Mars every three years.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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