Outer space is so intriguing to humans, yet we know so little beyond our own planet.  That is why we all should be excited that the two gas giants Jupiter and Saturn are about to be the focus of new NASA exploration missions.  Not only will the planets be explored but the moons of the planets, most notably Jupiter’s Europa and Saturn’s Titan, will also be a part of the exploration.

NASA plans to send two spacecraft to study Jupiter and its large moons, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, and Io, like never before.  The launch would occur in the year 2020 and the mission would cost around three billion dollars.  The main purpose of this mission is to look at the possibility of the moon Europa being habited or habitable.  Europa is covered with a thick layer of ice which is believed to cover a huge liquid ocean.  While studying Jupiter and the other moons, one spacecraft will be able to orbit Europa, building maps of the surface and obtaining proof of whether or not the alleged ocean under the ice really exists.

NASA also plans to send a spacecraft to Saturn and its moons.  The main focus in this exploration is the moon Titan, as it is presumed to be very Earth-like.  Titan is very intriguing because evidence of methane lakes and rain show that it is very much like ancient Earth.  Another of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, which is home to geysers that spew ice, will also be explored in detail.

The exploration of these two planets and their moons by NASA, along with the assistance of the ESA, the European Space Agency, may bring about many changes to our view and knowledge of our solar system.