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6.4 The Water/Ice Scientific Probe (WISP)

The WISP is carried to Europa's surface by the SOM, and then released into the ice. The probe houses a number of devices inside. The top part of the probe is a sonic transducer that communicates with the lander in order to send data back to earth. Below this are the floatation balloons and inflation system. Still further down, the equipment bay houses a black-and-white microscopic visible-light camera, known as MicroWISPCam. It includes a light source. Also, an alpha-proton-xray spectrometer and a seismic accelerometer are found in the equipment bay. At the very bottom resides the RTG, which will provide power for the instruments and the transducer, and produce the heat to melt through Europa.