Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely, NASA scientists find

Re:Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely... by inetknght on Friday June 19, 2020 @11:45AM (#23575586)

I don't think it isn't challenging. I think it's definitely possible; just expensive. And I think it's actually cheaper than a lot might think: the biggest expense until now has been getting there. But with SpaceX and reusable rockets that looks to be a helluva lot cheaper. It's still challenging on a technical level but tractable to the higher ends of science budgets, or even middle ends of, say, oil and mining budgets.

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Re:Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely... by BiteCode_dev on Friday June 19, 2020 @11:55AM (#23575707)

Once you are in an ocean covered with miles of ice, how do you send a signal?

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Re:Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely... by inetknght on Friday June 19, 2020 @12:09PM (#23575851)

Why would you dig deep into an ocean covered with miles of ice without a tether to a station?

Suppose it looks like this:

    ----- upper ice surface -----
     ice ice ice ice ice ice ice
    ~~~~~ lower ice surface ~~~~~

Then a tether station might look like this with a conduit/shaft between

         beep
         /|\
    ------|----------
          |
    ~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~
         \|/
        beep

Then you can have a swimmer-rover:

         hi!
         /|\
    ------|----------
          |
    ~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~
         \|/
        .
    <-> hi!

sorry I'm just a software dude :|

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Re:Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely... by BiteCode_dev on Friday June 19, 2020 @12:13PM (#23575882)

It would be my first instinct too, but I'm assuming miles of cable in frozen ice that probably move will not last for long.

But maybe setup a wireless relay? Not easy through that much ice.

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Re:Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely... by jacobwilliamroy on Friday June 19, 2020 @12:23PM (#23575962)

This mission is starting to sound really expensive

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Re:Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely... by inetknght on Friday June 19, 2020 @12:59PM (#23576365)

Yup! It definitely would still be an expensive mission! But I think getting there is no longer the biggest expense :)

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Re:Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely... by avhon1 on Friday June 19, 2020 @05:30PM (#23579051)

Ice carries radio waves a lot better than water. Once sunk through the ice, the entire probe, or a small buoy, could float up to the underside of the ice and transmit clearly to the surface.

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Re:Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely... by splendidHaiku on Friday June 19, 2020 @12:21PM (#23575945)

leave sending station above ground. send down hot ice melting probe (no drilling) attached to long cable.

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Re:Are planets with oceans common in the galaxy? It's likely... by nitrogen on Friday June 19, 2020 @01:30PM (#23576803)

The meltwater would have to be removed, or the cable itself heated.

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