NASA cuts to Europa mission anger planetary scientists
The Woodlands, Texas
Planetary scientists are angry about NASA’s decision to jettison a key instrument from its upcoming mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa.
The magnetometer, known as ICEMAG, was intended to collect data that could help to determine whether Europa’s ice-covered ocean is capable of hosting life, in part by measuring the water’s salt content.
But on 5 March, NASA said that it had cancelled plans to build ICEMAG, citing increased costs.