Could There Be Life on Europa and Why NASA May Want to Hide It

In man’s search for extraterrestrial life, there are two locations that scientists tend to focus on: our immediate neighbor, Mars, and Europa, a moon of Jupiter.

Though we are only in the early stages of Martian exploration, scientists have been very quick to shout their findings. It seemed that every foot travelled and every sample taken by the Mars Rover was televised or a press conference was held by NASA.

As for Europa, scientists believe Europa is a strong contender for life; however, NASA seems to be a little reluctant to go there and find out. Leaving many to wonder, if there is life on Europa – why does NASA want to hide it?

Europa was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei.(1) Exploration of the Jovian moon began in the 1970s with the Pioneer and Voyager missions. These were only fly-by missions, but provided proof that Europa was a watery and icy planet.

According to Space.com, the most informative mission to Europa was Galileo which, was launched in 1989. The satellite orbited Jupiter from 1995 through much of 2003.

This mission provided insight on chemical and physical makeup of the moon; such as it is made up of silicate rock and the surface is covered with layer of ice that is 62 miles thick.(2)

What Lies Beneath the Ice
 

Yet it is what lies beneath that layer of ice that has scientist excited. Many scientists believe that an oxygen-rich ocean lies beneath the icy shell of Europa.

One of these scientists, Richard Greenberg, a researcher at the University of Arizona, believes the vast underwater ocean on Europa could support 6.6 billion pounds of “macrofauna.”(3) Greenberg tells Discovery news that the rate that the icy crust replenishes itself proves there is an oxygen-rich ocean beneath it.
Furthermore, it is theorized that this vast ocean comes in direct contact with rock, providing a better case for life on Europa. According to Kevin Hand, an Astrobiologist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this scenario creates “prime locale for searching for life.(4)”

In order to find out, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposed the Low-Radiation Europa Lander Mission Concept.(5) This mission would send two landers to the surface of the moon for seven days to limit the exposure to radiation.

According to the proposal, “The goal of this mission is to explore Europa to investigate its habitability.” However, as of December 2011, the concept was still under review by NASA Headquarters.(6)

Is NASA Covering Up Life on Europa?
 

However, looking at NASA’s track record on approving missions to Europa, it does not look good for the Low-Radiation Europa Lander Mission Concept.

It has been rumored that NASA has denied all proposals to land on the surface of Europa.(7) TheBlackVault.com posted a series of documents dealing with possibility of life on Europa along with a report titled, Preventing the Forward Contamination of Europa; Which could easily lead one to believe that NASA is rejecting these proposals essentially in an effort to keep the moon free from Earthly contaminants.

They, of course, do not come out and state this directly.

EnterpriseMission.com offers another theory on why NASA is reluctant to go to Europa. They point to the Brookings Report.

Officially known as “Proposed Studies on the Implications of Peaceful Space Activities for Human Affairs”, the report was commissioned by NASA in the 1960s and discusses the societal issues that the discovery of extraterrestrial life could create.