Scientist for a Day Option 3: Europa
| Credit | NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech |
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My name is Mana. Europa is my favorite It is that it is one of the very few places in our solar system that could potentially have life.
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Transcript
Host: Mana Salami
Hi everyone! My name is Mana.
I am a NASA Flight Systems Engineer.
My job is to work with a team of engineers to design, build, and test a spacecraft that will visit Jupiter's moon Europa in the next decade.
The reason Europa is my favorite and why I decided to work on its mission, is that it is one of the very few places in our solar system that could potentially have life.
It is one of the four large moons of Jupiter that the astronomer Galileo discovered with his simple telescope,400 years ago.
Europa's surface is made up of an icy shell that is covered with cracks and ridges.
Beneath its icy surface, it's believed to have a large ocean of liquid salt water; like our own oceans on Earth, but with twice as much water!
Recent observations from theHubble Space Telescope show evidence that Europa might have plumes of water erupting from its surface. If there are plumes on Europa that would be a great place to search for the evidence of life.
Europa is a fascinating place full of mysteries and I think it is the best place to explore.
Good luck and have a great time!