NASA wants to find life on Europa, needs money from Congress first

Plans to explore Europa could be put into action if NASA’s new $17 billion budget request to Congress gets approved. The request was made jointly with the White House, and would see NASA go on an interstellar road trip to explore what is considered one of our solar system’s leading candidates for life. As recently as December, observations suggested water vapor plumes were venting from the Jupiter moon; Europa has previously shown evidence of water, and NASA intends on further exploring this so-called extraterrestrial Atlantis. According to NASA’s statement, the budget request is for fiscal year 2015, and includes funds for “the formulation for a mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa.”