Exploration of Icy Ocean Worlds: Science, Observations, Remote-strategies, In Situ-Concepts and Technologies

Icy ocean worlds have captured the attention and imagination of astrobiologists as they hold the promise of transforming our scientific knowledge and understanding of the field by ushering in a new era. These planetary bodies, which include moons like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus, possess subsurface liquid water oceans beneath their icy exterior. The possibility of hydrothermal processes occurring in these oceans makes them prime candidates for hosting either extant or extinct forms of life. As major space agencies like NASA and ESA gear up for upcoming missions to these icy moons, the planning process has already begun, with the aim of deploying cutting-edge analytical detection methods of high specificity. The exploration and observation of these planetary objects hinge on the selection of the planetary target and the specific exploration goals intended to be achieved.

This Research Topic aims to facilitate the exchange of insights regarding the technological and scientific challenges posed by the exploration of icy ocean worlds. Mission planners and researchers are actively conceptualizing innovative strategies for investigating these extraterrestrial environments, considering potential limitations and opportunities.
To gather further insights into the exploration of icy ocean worlds, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Planetary analogs and emerging techniques for the investigation of habitable environments and biosignature search
• Technological challenges for sub-ice exploration on ocean worlds
• Concepts for creating access to ice-covered oceans
• Investigation of ejected material released by plumes as proxies for the composition of ice-covered oceans
• Contamination-free sampling of surface and subsurface material
• Identifying scientific payload packages to enable a targeted search for habitable locations and biosignatures on icy moons

We accept a range of article types, including Original Research, Reviews/Mini Reviews, Perspectives, and Methods on the topics above and other related themes focused on icy ocean worlds.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Planetary Exploration Strategies, Habitability, Detection of Biosignatures, Icy Ocean Worlds, Planetary Analogs, Organics, Origins of Life

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.