Water vapor! The sample took a bit longer to receive then I'd hoped, but it is conclusive. Despite the false alarm there is no question that the oceans of Europa are composed of water.
A few weeks ago, that seemed like a well-known fact in theory, however there was no place for theory or speculation on this mission. I can take a deep breath. Our search for life is not over minutes after it started.
I wrote a letter home talking of how relieved I was to see the data. I've never been more excited about a little water. I mentioned in the letter that I don't really know how I could live with my decision to drop everything to come here if we didn't even find liquid water.
While the sample does not tell us much more than the fact the ocean of Europa is water, it does tell us a bit about the makeup of Europe's oceans. The numbers we got from this sample would have been standard for a marine biologist taking a reading somewhere on Earth. In fact, they would have been a bit boring. We're not on Earth. Here on an alien world these results are remarkable. If the water vapor from this sample properly represents the ocean beneath the ice, then this ocean is much more like Earth's than we could have hoped.
Later this week Commander Hunt, Dr. Horvat, Second Lieutenant Adams, and Miller will head to the first drilling site to begin setting up the drilling site. I am quite discouraged that I will not be going, being banished to stay at the main base camp and continue my recovery. I guess this is my own fault. Even though it's quite upsetting and I would give anything I must be patient.
In the meantime, I will be helping Lee place the drones in optimal position to recover more enticing data.
YOU ARE READING
Europa
Fiksi IlmiahIn order to embark on a mission to discover alien life on the icy moon of Jupiter Maria must leave her life on Earth behind, including her father and her seven-year-old son Diego. She thought the hardest part of the mission would be saying goodbye...
