In a rather intriguing twist, it appears that NASA is now mandated by law to fly a robotic mission to Jupiter’s watery moon Europa. Europa is an incredibly exciting science target, as it’s believed to have a 100-kilometer-thick (62 miles) outer layer of water, with water ice on top (it’s very cold out there) and a liquid water ocean beneath that. It’s believed that there’s more water on Europa than the entirety of Earth, despite being just a quarter the width of Earth. As we continue to learn more about the tenacious lifeforms found in deep, cold waters here on Earth, excitement grows over the possibility of Europa’s oceans harboring extraterrestrial life.

Up until the ’70s, the prevailing theory was that all life on Earth was dependent on energy from the Sun (i.e. everything ultimately revolves around photosynthesizing plants). Then, in 1977, an exploratory dive in the Galapagos Rift discovered giant tube worms, clams, and other crustaceans that survived without any access to the Sun. As it turned out, they were feeding on bacteria that got their energy from hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide emanating from underwater volcanic vents. There was a whole food chain down there that didn’t rely on the Sun at all. Cue much excited theorizing about the possibility of finding life in Europa’s massive oceans.

Europa (bottom left), Moon (top left), Earth (right) - size comparison
Europa (bottom left), Moon (top left), Earth (right) – size comparison
By the time the Voyager probes had flown through the Jovian system in 1979, scientists were fairly sure that Europa had an icy crust, and possibly a liquid ocean beneath. Further investigation by Galileo and New Horizons have provided yet more data (and some lovely images, such as the one at the top of the story, captured by Galileo). Now, we’re almost certain that there’s liquid water on Europa — and so the next stage is sending some kind of robotic probe or rover out there, to do some real, up-close-and-personal science.

And this is the weird bit: It seems, thanks to Houston Congressman John Culberson, who appears to be a bit of a science nerd, that NASA is now mandated by law to develop a mission to Europa. Culberson is basically forcing this mission upon NASA: In 2013 and 2014, despite NASA not requesting any money for a Europa mission, Culberson gave it $43 million and $80 million respectively. In the 2014 budget bill, finalized in December, there’s not a single mention of Mars or the Moon, but Europa’s right there on page 159. Culberson is expected to become the next chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee, too — and if that happens, NASA may find itself very flush indeed. This is rather refreshing, after years of budget cuts/stagnation!

Europa poster diagram, showing its (theorized) structure
Europa poster diagram, showing its (theorized) structure
In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Culberson had these rather uplifting words to say about Europa in specific and space exploration in general:

If I’m successful in becoming chairman of the subcommittee that’s going to be right when the Europa mission will need its maximum funding. It needs to be a flagship mission. The biggest and best we’ve ever flown … I got on this incredible committee where I will be in exactly the right place at the right time to be able to help turn NASA around, to not only preserve America’s leadership role in space, but I also hope to be a key part in discovering life on another world for the first time. We’re only going to have one chance at this in our lifetimes. We’ve got one shot. I want to make sure you and I are here to see those first tube worms and lobsters on Europa.

As for an actual timeline for those first tube worms, if they exist, it’s still very, very early days. It seems, after two years of having money forced upon it, NASA finally caved and actually asked for $15 million in 2015 to help plan the Europa mission. All we really have to go on right now are the words of NASA’s CFO, Elizabeth Robinson, who said the launch could come as soon as the mid-2020s — probably after we launch the next Mars rover in 2020.

We are living in interesting times! Who knows, maybe it won’t be the next generation of space telescopes that discovers the first instance of extraterrestrial life — maybe it’ll be a NASA rover, right here in our own Solar System.