Page 8: of Marine Technology Magazine (October 2012)

While admittedly we have only cursory knowledge on the life, activity and interaction of our own earth?s oceans, there is a academic collaboration intent on helping researchers dis-cover the mysteries in bodies of water far, far away; more than 390 million miles away. The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) project Exploration of Under-ice Regions with Ocean Pro ling Agents (EUROPA) represents a joint effort by Leigh McCue, Craig Woolsey (VT) and William Moore (Hampton University) seeking to develop a technol- ogy ?roadmap? that will describe what technologies need to be researched in order to successfully explore the oceans on Europa that lie beneath a thick, frozen ice crust. The interest in Europa is robust, as its oceans represent the most likely place for life to exist in the solar system apart from Earth. The project aims to provide a stepping stone toward a mission to Europa which would use power ef cient, long- duration, underwater gliders to search for signs of life under Europa?s ice crust. http://www.unmanned.vt.edu/europa ?A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....? Exploring Oceans 390,400,000 Miles Away News The image attached is adapted from a NASA JPL image. October 20128 MTRMTR #8 (1-17).indd 8MTR #8 (1-17).indd 810/3/2012 4:10:25 PM10/3/2012 4:10:25 PM