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Chapter 9: The Ocean Beneath Ice

Plumes of ocean water, a station of eighteen people, and the rule that nothing is taken.

What it shows. Plume science, planetary protection, restraint.

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1:42 · 6 shots: 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6

Saturn from the station's window, its rings edge-on from the ice. — Enceladus Saturn from the station's window, its rings edge-on from the ice.

The engineering behind it

Nuclear
Electric propulsion
The inter-moon tug pushes with 85 newtons for 120 days and carries 100 tonnes from Titan's orbit to Enceladus.
Chemistry
Enceladus plumes and the ocean
Enceladus sprays its ocean into space at about 400 m/s from the south pole, faster than the 239 m/s needed to leave the moon.
Chemistry
Planetary protection
Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty requires explorers to avoid harmful contamination of other worlds, and the Enceladus station keeps to it by never touching the ocean.