ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS
EXCEPT EUROPA.
ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE.
In major extra-terrestrial news, scientists have announced the first discovery of at least one huge body of liquid water beyond planet Earth, offering confirmation at last of a potential offworld habitat for alien life. The water in question - roughly enough to fill one of the North American Great Lakes - has been spotted …
...I've mentioned my position on this in one of the Cassini threads, so I can only add JEEZUS H. CHRIST, YOU GUYS! IT'S NOT A WEAPONS SYSTEM! IT'S GOING TO FRICKIN' _JUPITER_, F'CRIPESAKE! NOTHING FRICKIN' _LIVES_ THERE! GET A GODDAMN' _GRIP_, ALREADY!
Phew. Thanks. I feel better now.
Yes, let's all parrot Lewis Page's take on the cancellation (far better than thinking for ourselves, after all):
"In the end, however, following protest over the idea of spacegoing reactors (and also for cost reasons) Jimo was cancelled."
Far more likely, however, is that NASA and partners were skint after yet another budget cut, made so that bankers and the finance industry can still have their champagne and hand-jobs, and so that the military and parasite industries can "splurge" on more war.
the liquid below may be somewhat unpleasant to organics, let a lone life. Hydrogen peroxide from the surface ice radiation reactions and the possibility of geothermal vents making a sulphuric acid bath. One for the chemistry students. What would the resulting chemical broth be like ?
Lots of precipitating salts I suspect.
I wonder what could be living up there in these deep, dark, freezing waters. And where any such lifeform would feel most at ease if it was to land on Earth.
On a completely unrelated note, if you're planning an expedition in Antartica to investigate a strange, large metal object embedded deep in the ice, do yourself a favor and bring a spare gas tank for your flamethrower.