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Working_Sundae t1_j591j2b wrote

Will we ever explore the oceans of europa? Is it possible to dig 30 miles into the ice and then drop a submarine to explore it's 120 mile deep ocean amidst the intense radiation.

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equalopurtunityotter t1_j598y4h wrote

Do we really want that tho? What if all that ice is actually a prison for the horrid xeno terror cthulu who unleashes unspeakable horrors upon the universe?

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Fuzakenaideyo t1_j594bwh wrote

Nasa has the tunnelbot concept & kilopower reactors if they ever wanted to deploy Tunnelbot so it's just a matter of will

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Working_Sundae t1_j597494 wrote

NASA's Europa concept only digs 4 inches into the ice not 30 miles deep.

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TheLit420 t1_j5acn28 wrote

That tubbelbot will break down after a few feet. And they would need to constantly replace the head. Not including the other things. Digging through Europa is a pipe-dream for now.

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Fuzakenaideyo t1_j5bejbl wrote

Isn't one of the ideas to use the heat from the nuclear fission reactor to melt through the ice rather than some kind of mechanical ice breaker?

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