wouldn't you like to dive in that ocean?

[Chebby]

All the top brains seem to think there is an ocean under ice on Europa (Jupiter’s moon). Wonder what it would feel like to dive it? Or what equipment one would need. Very interested in what other people think of that.

 

[Scubaguy62]

I think you can dive it in NASA suits....don't they practice underwater to simulate 0 G?

 

[ScubaFreak]

i'm up for it- who wants to buddy me

 

[Chebby]

I think you can dive it in NASA suits....don't they practice underwater to simulate 0 G?

Yes, I think they do. But water on Europa is probably colder then water in the NASA pool In fact, it may not even be water, but antifreeze which freezes at a really low temperature (who knows?)

NASA suits would probably do worse there than a regular dry suit, because they are designed for a different task. Heat transfer in space is almost exclusively by radiation. Heat transfer in the water is done by a different process where heated water leaves and lets cooler water in that sucks up the heat really fast (Convection). I would think some really thick dry suit with maybe some other gas than air would be need (the one that has a smaller conductivity).

I wonder what surface interval would look like?

 

[Zoe83]

ooh, very scarey! space travel freaks me out! let alone an 'alien' sea!

 

[ScubaFreak]

ooh, very scarey! space travel freaks me out! let alone an 'alien' sea!

So that rules you out of being my buddy....hmmm...still no takers...

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Estimates are that Europa has a water/ice layer about 60 miles thick. How much of that is water and how much of that is ice is still not known for certain. The last estimate I recall was that the ice cap on top of the water was approx 5 miles thick.

You'd need a really long saw to ice dive on Europa and then you'd have to dive to about 26,400 ft to even get out of the hole. The good news is that the gravity is only about 1/6 of Earth's so that would only be like doing a 6,600 ft dive on earth. I don't think a dry suit or space suit would cut it. You'd need a really beefy 1 atmosphere suit at a minimum.

 

[Chebby]

Estimates are that Europa has a water/ice layer about 60 miles thick. How much of that is water and how much of that is ice is still not known for certain. The last estimate I recall was that the ice cap on top of the water was approx 5 miles thick.

You'd need a really long saw to ice dive on Europa and then you'd have to dive to about 26,400 ft to even get out of the hole. The good news is that the gravity is only about 1/6 of Earth's so that would only be like doing a 6,600 ft dive on earth. I don't think a dry suit or space suit would cut it. You'd need a really beefy 1 atmosphere suit at a minimum.

Wow, even 6,600 ft is more than I bargained for. ScubaFreak, I'm canceling that dive! You'll have to dive that one solo.

But hey, here’s a brilliant idea: If there is thermal heat underneath, maybe we can grow lobsters there. Can lobsters survive that pressure? Pot removal will take a while though.

 

[caymaniac]

Estimates are that Europa has a water/ice layer about 60 miles thick. How much of that is water and how much of that is ice is still not known for certain. The last estimate I recall was that the ice cap on top of the water was approx 5 miles thick.

You'd need a really long saw to ice dive on Europa and then you'd have to dive to about 26,400 ft to even get out of the hole. The good news is that the gravity is only about 1/6 of Earth's so that would only be like doing a 6,600 ft dive on earth. I don't think a dry suit or space suit would cut it. You'd need a really beefy 1 atmosphere suit at a minimum.

I would think a one atmosphere suit would work, like a JIM suit or WASP suit. Okay, I'm ready to buddy up!

 

[Fly N Dive]

that would be a hell of a giant stride!!