Science-driven Preparations for Europa Surface Operations

Harboring potentially habitable environments, Jupiter's moon Europa has risen to the forefront of planetary exploration. There is a general consensus in the community that under Europa's geologically young ice shell exists a subsurface ocean, probably in contact with a silicate seafloor -- which may lead to an ocean rich in the elements and energy needed for the existence of life. Landforms on the surface additionally suggest recent or ongoing geologic activity. As NASA continues to move forward with the exploration of Europa through the upcoming Europa Clipper flagship fly-by mission, efforts are also underway to mature the technologies required for future surface operations, such as those discussed in the Technology Development section of the recently released "Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032". However, there is currently a paucity of reconnaissance data for Europa's surface characteristics and composition. Thus, technology development efforts are focusing on a robust landing system capable of navigating unknown lander-scale terrains to safely deliver a payload to the surface. To inform this development effort, the Europa Lander pre-project team developed a comprehensive Terrain Specification Document (TSD) that summarizes current knowledge regarding surface characteristics such as optical, thermal, and mechanical properties, chemical composition, topography, and environmental context. This information is used to explore the design space and requirements for lander technologies, including capabilities of the autonomous landing system, and interaction with the lander workspace and sampling architecture on the surface. This presentation will summarize the current status of the TSD, the dual science-engineering approach used to develop the structure and content, and lessons learned for future development of similar documents for Europa and other bodies.