NEMO: A mission to explore and return samples from Europa's oceans

The NEMO [Nuclear Europa Mobile Ocean] mission would explore and return samples and possible life forms from Europa's sub-surface oceans to Earth. The NEMO spacecraft would land on Europa two years after leaving Earth, using a compact bi-modal NTP engine. NEMO'S small nuclear reactor melt probe would then melt a channel through the multi-km ice sheet to the ocean, which a small robotic submarine would explore, transmitting data by sonic link and optical fiber to the spacecraft for relay to Earth. After its exploration, the submarine would rejoin the melt probe for return to the NEMO spacecraft. Using electricity from the bi-modal MITEE engine, fresh H-2 propellant would be manufactured by electrolysis of melt water from surface ice. NEMO would then hop to a new site, exploring ten sites in a year before returning with samples and life forms to Earth, six years after it left. The design and performance of the NEMO spacecraft, MITEE engine, melt probe, and submarine are described. The probe and submarine use existing reactor technology. A NEMO mission could launch shortly after 2013 AD.