Stone Aerospace and the Deep Phreatic Thermal Explorer
Stone Aerospace created the autonomous underwater vehicle known as the Deep Phreatic Thermal Explorer. For independent investigation and mapping of underwater cavities in Mexico, the DEPTHX was designed. Additionally, water sample collection was intended. NASA provided funding for this research with the intention of creating the tools necessary to carry out a mission they ultimately dubbed the Europa Clipper Mission: investigating the oceans beneath Europa's crust.
The Delayed Launch and Mission Approval
If all went as planned, the DEPTHX was supposed to be launched into space in 2016, arrive on Europa in 2018, and deliver its entire findings by 2019. This though was unable to take place as the mission was reset to be launched in the 2020's due to certain circumstances. In 2015, NASA had announced its mission approval. In January of the year 2016, NASA also consented to a lender. In 2016, the budget was set aside to develop further the concept of the Europa Clipper. This was then set out to launch in 2025 to carry out more research and reconnaissance on the safety of the surface and find scientifically suitable areas for landing.
Progression of the Mission
This pushed ahead the Europa landing schedule. With the NASA's major review on the matter, the mission was permitted to move forward from phase A to Phase B in February 2017, which included the accommodation of nine instruments to be developed for the Europa mission (Greicius, 1). Phase B is aimed at completing the mission's systems preliminary designs set for September 2018. During this phase, subsystem vendors together with prototype hardware will be singled out. There will also be building and testing of the spacecraft. The mission success includes several stages and steps from the reviews to the terminal design, spacecraft assembly, testing, and fabrication as well as design. Thus, NASA needed more time to ensure they conduct a safe and somewhat less costly study of Europa.
Work Cited
Greicius, Tony. “Robotic Tunneler May Explore Icy Moons.” Astrobiology Magazine, 11 June 2015, www.astrobio.net/news-exclusive/robotic-tunneler-may-explore-icy-moons/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.
