I'm back from the Europa Focus Group meeting... Options

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

...which I decided to attend literally at the last possible minute, which is why I didn't alert you guys in advance. Very interesting -- both the discussions about the likely design of the mission (and how to retrieve it from cancellation), and many of the actual science presentations (which aren't on the Web yet, although they probably soon will be). I'll give you some more information tomorrow -- although I can't resist telling Alex that Tom Spilker's subgroup took my ideas about a Europa penetrator, and the printed information I gave them on the subject, seriously enough to recommend making further inquiries to NASA HQ on it. (And without my browbeating them, either. Nyaah.) The case for it, however, is still extremely far from certain.

As I say, more tomorrow.

[edstrick]

For those that don't know it... look for the on-web document: The "Cartono Laws of Physics".

You're glasses <assuming you have> will fog over repeatedly as you read it.

[helvick]

You're glasses <assuming you have> will fog over repeatedly as you read it.

(cleans glasses)
Clearly then the Europa lander needs to be an Anvil (Law IX) as that will fall slower than anything else. All delta-v can be provided by Spontaneously Created Dynamite (Amendment E) saving mass. We can do away with traditional instrumentation too and replace with a cat - it's ability to actually provide any calibrated scientific data is a small problem but it will prove to be indestrutible (Law VIII) and the NIR capability is not to be sniffed at. Amendment D (Gravity in C-Space is transmitted by slow moving waves of large wavelength) and a descent imaging system that simply watches the cat will give us some very detailed data about the internal structure of Europa during the descent.
Even better throw a dog wielding a knife into the equation and the combination of Law V, Law VIII, Law X,Amendment A and Amendment E should make sample return a piece of cake.