Date: Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:15:05 -0500
From: "Mike B." <yahoo at omniphile.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: "NASA ignores Arthur C. Clarke, may attempt landings on Europa"
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

On 12/11/2011 6:30 PM, Keith F. Lynch wrote:
> Michael Walsh<walshmichaelj at gmail.com>  wrote:
>> And here's the story that followed the headline:
>> http://dvice.com/archives/2011/12/nasa-ignores-ar.php
>
> Interesting.  I wonder just how thick the ice is.  Would scuba diving
> be possible there?  I know that scuba dry suits allow diving in
> freezing-cold water, and that special gas mixtures allow diving at
> pressures up to 50 atmospheres.  And since Europa's gravity is a lot
> lower than Earth's, that allows for a considerable thickness of ice
> before the pressure under the ice gets too high.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/europa/thickice/  says at least 19
kilometers.

> I know of at least three other places in the solar system (other than
> Earth, of course) where a spacesuit shouldn't be needed:
>
> * Floating in a balloon over Venus.  There's an altitude where the
>    temperature and pressure are both reasonable.  You would need an
>    oxygen mask, of course.  But note that in that atmosphere, oxygen
>    is a lift gas, so it can do double duty.

If you have power you should be able to generate it from the CO2, so you
don't have to bring it with you.

> * Floating in a balloon over Jupiter.  There's an altitude where the
>    temperature and pressure are both tolerable, though depending on
>    altitude you'd either need a warm coat or a special scuba-type gas
>    mixture.  Interestingly, such gas mixtures are (except for the
>    oxygen) similar enough to Jupiter's own air that you could probably
>    get away with an oxygen cannula and something to filter out the
>    ammonia from the surrounding atmosphere.

Assuming the radiation doesn't bother you.  Of course, perhaps it would
release super powers dormant in your genes.

-- Mike B.