Review of Exchange Processes on Ganymede in View of Its Planetary Protection Categorisation
Résumé
The outer planet satellites are a rich and diverse set of planetary bodies, with great relevance to astrobiological studies, satisfying a number or all of the prerequisites for habitability. Some of them show evidence for organic chemistry in their atmospheres, surfaces or interiors. Many of the satellites, including the smallest, thus contain organic material. In addition, the largest satellites are believed to hide global-scale oceans within. During the earlier Galileo mission, strong evidence for the presence of an internal ocean was obtained at Europa. Since then, the evidence has accumulated for such sub-surface liquid water oceans to exist not only on Europa but also on the two other icy Galilean satellites, Ganymede, and Callisto.