This is definitely a mission worth waiting for. NASA announced today that they’re planning a new mission to Jupiter, set to depart in 2020 and arrive in 2026, in conjunction with the ESA. The mission would also visit Jupiter’s four moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. From the article:
Europa has a surface of ice, and scientists theorize it has an ocean of water beneath that could provide a home for living things. Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, is the only moon known to have its own internally generated magnetic field and is suspected to have a deep undersurface water ocean. Scientists long have sought to understand the causes of the magnetic field. Callisto’s surface is extremely heavily cratered and ancient, providing a clear indication of a record of events from the early history of the Solar System. Finally, Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system.
Unbelievably cool. Just 17 years until we see the first pictures!
