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Writer's pictureAmanda Lee Falkenberg

D▲Y 5 ΞUROPΛ

Updated: Jun 25, 2022

Wednesday Imaginations go ᵂᴵᴸᴰ with an Ice 🧊Drill on Europa — Whoa!


Suppose the idea of NASA’s Europa Clipper Spacecraft wasn’t riveting enough. In that case, there is a concept for a future mission to send a Lander to Europa to arrive after the Clipper spacecraft to conduct sampling and other in situ science.


The Lander Concept is a bold mission to search for evidence of life on Europa. It is led by pre-project scientist Kevin Hand, and it really sparked my musical imagination!

Click on image above to learn more about NASA JPL's Europa Lander Study 2016 Report


Kevin Hand is also author of a fantastic book— Alien Worlds, where he elegantly takes us on a space-nautical journey to the stars, walking us through science to help us understand the incredible discoveries of ocean worlds in the outer solar system.

Click on image above to learn more about Kevin Hands book "Alien Worlds"



I took poetic license and finessed the idea into Europa’s symphonic canvas that an ice drill could be onboard the Lander that penetrates Europa’s 20km ice crust to reveal its mysterious watery treasure trove beneath.

I used the forces of a symphony orchestra to help transport us to that day as we imagine drilling through the crust to see if the possibility of water does indeed exist.


Thirty seconds into the excerpt, you will hear that the drill has finally pierced through Europa’s relentless ice crust by a dramatic roll from timpani, with high trumpets in fanfare, followed by low sustained strings to accompany the euphoric moment.



Europa - II Movement - Excerpt

Below is a page from Europa’s symphonic canvas

Marked in yellow where, is that moment appropriately named;

THE ICE DRILL CHORD

Ice drill passage - Bar 38-42 - Europa - II Movement


Next, a flute takes over, and the music becomes intimate and delicate. There is also an element of trepidation in the musical atmosphere at what one might find in the dark, mysterious, expansive ocean of Europa…







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