Fluffy ice could imperil spacecraft landings on ocean moons: Water erupted from cryovolcanoes may freeze into thick but fragile layers on Europa and Enceladus.

The article focuses on a vacuum chamber experiment simulating water freezing under conditions found on Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus, revealing that cryovolcanic water eruptions may form thick, fragile, layered ice resembling phyllo dough. This porous, brittle ice could reach several meters in thickness on Europa and up to 20 meters on Enceladus, posing significant challenges for future spacecraft landings. The study, conducted using a large vacuum chamber designed to replicate low pressure and temperature, provides insights that could inform landing strategies for NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission. The presence of such ice may also produce distinctive radar signatures detectable by orbiters, aiding in the identification of hazardous surface areas. [Extracted from the article]