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Published online 21 January 2009 | Nature 457, 366-367 (2009) | doi:10.1038/457366a
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Which moon to shoot for?
Planetary scientists have a rare chance to pick the destination for their next big mission. But will it be Titan or Europa? Eric Hand reports.
In 2005, Jonathan Lunine, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona in Tucson, was one of the first dozen people to glimpse the surface of Saturn's moon Titan. As the Huygens probe fell, a bizarre landscape emerged: an icy world of hills and channels carved by liquid methane.
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Why do we have to chose between two excellent projects let's do them both! Now it is time for both of the primary partners in these projects to make mature commitments. The EU needs to make a commitment commensurate with its financial reality. The USA and the EU have essentially equal GDP's (~$15 trillion US). The EU needs to pony up 50% more then its present contribution putting it on an equal footing with the USA. Space science can benefit from equal partners to take the human race to the methane seas of Titan and the Deep water ocean of Europa in the next two decades so we can all learn the mysteries in our life times. Vic Kley Berkeley, CA
Vic Kley, Many would say that exploring the Oceans on our own planet would be a more economically feasible and scientifically valuable way to "learn the mysteries of life in our times". We know little more about Earths Oceans than we do about Titans, but we do know there is life here on our own humble planet, most of it marine, microbial, and unknown. surely Titan can wait.