Discovery Channel Documentaries

Europa: Mystery of the Ice Moon (2006x42)

Air date: Aug 01, 2006

After the Jupiter mission, NASA scientists now believe that life forms exist on EUROPA, the giant frozen moon orbiting Jupiter. Using 3-D mapping imagery, scientists reveal their hypotheses and exclusive footage of what it might be like to take the 7-year voyage to discover the climate and origins of this mysterious moon. Viewers are taken on an exploration journey as three NASA scientists venture to a cold desolate glacier in the Canadian Yukon Territory. This is the only known environment that is similar to EUROPA's icy surface, and gives scientists an idea of the monumental yet exciting possibilities that come with ice exploration. Oceans explorer Mike Cameron makes a special appearance (James Cameron's brother who created vital technology on James Cameron's explorations of "Titanic" and "Bismarck"), as he creates a working model of a probe concept to extract scientific data from the Earth's surface that could one day explore EUROPA's oceans. Cameron's camera technology and robots survived extraordinary conditions to some 15,000 ft. below the Earth's ocean surface inspire him to imagine what it would take to bore through many miles of ice and into this icy moon's ocean that just might contain life.