tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post2300243422444039528..comments2024-01-03T20:28:17.727-08:00Comments on Future Planetary Exploration: Thoughts on the Europa Jupiter System MissionVan Kanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227978868817989527noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-73580049552747519002008-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:002008-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00I have to say that I'm extremely skeptical that th...I have to say that I'm extremely skeptical that the ESA COULD do a Ganymede Orbiter for only $1 billion. Don't forget that -- even if you ignore the not-insignificant radiation danger -- we're talking about a mission that considerably exceeds Cassini in complexity. Let me quote Tom Spilker again for his phone comment to me that the ESA has a terrible habit of grotesquely underestimating mission costs -- something that I think is also likely to bushwhack them if they try to build that Titan Montgolfiere balloon (which is far more complex than their proposed Titan Lake Lander).Bruce Moomawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11240647857073191582noreply@blogger.com