[no-to-illegals]

ET is going to be plenty upset when attempting to eat that probe. Of course, if ET is successful in eating the probe, ET may seek revenge on the probe, once ET is finally able to expel the probe. Could be a probing problem. Otherwise, this sounds like a plan.

[John Jorsett]

All these worlds are yours, except Europa. Attempt no landing there.

[Old Sarge]

ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS

EXCEPT EUROPA

ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE

[mylife]

Very cool

[Steely Tom]

DIVING IN: Prior to ENDURANCE's descent, a triangular hole was cut so a diver could check to see there were no ice formations

Great. He'll be going to Europa too, I'm guessing.

[callisto]

I guess we’ll find out if the crust on Europa is “thick” or “thin” and answer that debate, but I didn’t see any notation as to the method for breaking through the granite-like icy crust. Endurance has to reach the liquid below the surface before it will be of use. Has anyone kept up with NASA’s design for the equipment to accompany Endurance?

[RandallFlagg]

Testing this in Wisconsin, they just HAD to make it look like it’s covered in cheese.
I see how it is....

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Requiring an ice hole is a mistake. The probe should be equipped with a shell that will change the ionic structure of the ice to melt it.

Much like how salt melts ice, a coating of some material that melts the *type* of ice, not necessarily water ice, that the probe will land on.

For example, if it was ordinary water ice on Earth, and you had a shell around a ball which contained a half foot thick crust of crystallized hard salt, with gaps in the shell so that the ice would touch the salt. That much salt could melt through a LOT of ice, by changing its ionic structure, *not* by warming it.

[LibWhacker]

Can’t imagine them pulling this off. The pressure’s got to be horrendous, even though gravity’s only one seventh or one eighth that of earth. I mean, the pressure under 12 miles of ice would be like being under 1.6 miles of ice on earth. Then the idea that you could go very deep into this 60 mile deep ocean on top of that... It just ain’t gonna happen; i.e., we definitely won’t be looking at any hydrothermal vents, imo.

But I’m rooting for them though! It’s absolute genius. Best case: It survives and roams the upper layers of Europa’s ocean(s) for years, suffering no breakdowns, reporting back periodically to earth, sending pics of it frolicking with mile-long ice whales, etc.

[Rudder]

An ultrashort baseline transceiver is lowered into the water...the vehicle's positions are determined data gleaned from sensors...the starboard bow (located on the right, if you are facing the sub's front)[but only if you're inside, and this is an unmanned boat]...

I don't think the writer is a technically versed.