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Juno microwave data suggest Europa's ice shell is ~29 km thick, complicating ocean access

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NASA's Juno microwave measurements estimate Europa's ice shell at roughly 29 km (18 miles) thick. A shell this deep would extend the path oxygen and nutrients must traverse to reach the subsurface ocean, altering models of chemical exchange, habitability prospects and mission access.

Discovered 2026-01-28T08:59:24.343869-08:00 | 2026-01-28T08:59:24.343869-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Juno's microwave data place Europa's ice shell near 29 km (18 miles), lengthening the transport route for oxidants and nutrients and reducing modeled chemical exchange with the ocean; this compounds recent research suggesting Europa may lack seafloor hydrothermal activity (source:1f0aaa60-beeb-4930-8091-4b4cd51598df).
  • A ~29 km shell raises engineering and science trade-offs for future missions: technical requirements for drilling/penetration or alternative access methods increase, and near-term priorities may shift toward remote sensing and surface-focused studies rather than direct ocean sampling (see related icy-moon process research) (source:6aa371cc-0b80-43a4-8705-bd7fcb44ca59).

Reported By

webpronews.com futurism.com Universe Today zmescience.com Times of India miragenews.com
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10
First Seen
2026-01-28T08:59:24.343869-08:00
Latest Update
2026-02-01T09:12:57.002861-08:00
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