Possible Europa Mission

NASA is looking at a possible probe to Jupiter's ice-covered moon, Europa.  The mission concept currently being studied calls for a probe to be put into orbit around Jupiter such that it does dozens of fly bys of Europa-- some as close as 15 miles above the surface.  The mission could be launched in the 2020-2022 time period, and take six years to reach Jupiter.

Scientists think there is a huge ocean under Europa's ice shell that might harbor life.  The proposed mission would measure the thickness of the ice shell, confirm, or not, the existence of the ocean, and search for possible landing sites for future missions.