Sentences with phrase «icy satellites surface»

Of that, $ 175 million is directed to the new Europa mission, plus an additional $ 25 million for «icy satellites surface technology» development.

Not exact matches

Nobody had ever thought of this roughly 300 - mile - wide icy satellite as anything special — until the Cassini spacecraft witnessed geysers of water vapor blowing out from its surface.

Ice shells of icy satellites can have warm interiors — approximately 0 degrees C — but surface temperatures as low as -200 degrees C -LRB--330 F), like on Saturn's moon Enceladus, though the team's apparatus does not reach that extremely low temperature.

Most likely, scientists have proposed, the tidal flexing induced in a moon's icy surface causes cracks in polar regions to open widest while the satellite is farthest from its parent planet but clamp shut at other times.

Its H2O ice — rich surface is unlike other outer solar system icy satellites in exhibiting distinctly reddish tholin coloration around its northern pole as well as a few highly localized patches rich in NH3 ice.

The large satellites of Uranus show unique geologic features we'd like to understand (such as the tortured - looking surface of Miranda, a small moon with the tallest cliff in the Solar System), while Neptune's satellite Triton is thought to be a captured Kuiper Belt object, similar to Pluto, potentially harboring an ocean under its icy surface.