Reacción a "Reactions to the proposal that features on the moon Europa may be due to the presence of liquid water"

In the coming years, two space missions will be launched to the Jupiter system to characterize the habitability of its icy moons, especially Europa and Ganymede (JUICE/ESA and Europa Clipper/NASA). The information currently available indicates that liquid water is present in the interior of these satellites, mainly forming oceans. The authors of the paper suggest that geological structures called "double ridges," spread across Europa's ice crust, are evidence that shallow liquid levels are abundant and accessible on this moon for detection by future missions.

By observing by radar how double ridges, which are not common in Greenland ice, are created, the authors highlight the value of studying terrestrial analogues in planetary science. Bridging the gap between some physical conditions of planetary bodies, the geophysical study of large terrestrial ice masses allows modeling and understanding details of the dynamics of Europa and other moons. Instruments similar to those used in the campaigns described in the article will fly on the aforementioned space missions, so the prior analysis of terrestrial signals will greatly facilitate the interpretation of upcoming planetary data.

Terrestrial investigations not only help to locate habitable environments, but also contribute greatly to the development of an efficient strategy for the search for signs of life on icy moons, which is a priority objective of space agency programs in the coming decades and poses important scientific, technological, and philosophical challenges.