Could Europa's Ocean Vaporize into Space? Exploring the Potential Fate of Water in a Hypothetical Mission
Context This question explores the potential fate of Europa's ocean water if exposed to the vacuum of space during a hypothetical mission. Specifically, it asks whether the ocean would vaporize or if the hole made by a drill would simply fill with water vapor until pressure stabilizes. Simple Answer Imagine you have a bottle of water and open it in space. The water would instantly boil away because there's no air pressure to keep it liquid. Europa's ocean is similar, but it's covered by a thick layer of ice. If a hole were drilled through the ice, the ocean water would face the vacuum of space and start to boil. However, the boiling process would be slow, as the ice would act as a barrier, preventing rapid evaporation. The hole would likely fill with a mixture of water vapor and ice, creating a kind of 'frozen geyser' effect. Eventually, the pressure would stabilize, and the boiling would slow down, but the water would still slowly evaporate into space. Detailed...