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Nuclear Powered Mission to Jovian Moons

Posted by michael on from the need-more-power dept.

Skyshadow writes "The San Francisco Chronicle has an article about NASA's new project, the JIMO (Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter). The probe is designed specifically to search for liquid water and signs of life on Europa, as well as making detailed observations of Callisto and Ganymede. Planned for a 2010 liftoff, this new probe makes all previous interplanetary probes look wussy: it'll be 300 feet long and powered by a next-gen fission reactor (as opposed to nuclear batteries). Sure beats blowing money circling the earth over and over again..."

3 of 378 comments (clear)

  1. I'm sorry, Dave by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    But I'm afraid I can't let you launch a satelite.

    Dave?

    Da---aaaave.

    Dave.

    Stop that, Dave.

  2. what if crash on earth!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Nobody has mentioned this: what if it crashes on earth during launch, or crashes into earth orbit later? This is a major concern and a reason prior missions with plutonium isotopes have been widely protested against.

  3. All these worlds are yours, except Europa. by csoto · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Attempt no landing there.

    Don't piss off the MONOLITH!

    --
    There exists no way of exchanging information without making judgments. --Bene Gesserit Axiom