Many people may question the validity or the possibility of actually being able to ice fish on Europa. Wondering about the "hole boring process", refreezing issues, as well as contamination and thickness of ice are all valid questions. However…through tedious research and in-depth studies it has been determined and proven that the technology and ability already exist.

For example, in 2002 the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) conducted tests in Norway with a robot known as a “Cryobot”. Essentially the robot uses a heat element or hot water to melt the ice below it and the gravity provides the downward propulsion thereby creating the borehole/fishing hole in the ice.

Extensive deep ice drilling/cryobot studies have also been conducted in the Antarctic regions at a well known location named Lake Vostok. Lake Vostok is one of more than 140 subglacial lakes found under the Antarctic region and is one of the premier locations of study for using this process on Europa.

As for the issue of the borehole refreezing, not only will the borehole be enclosed at the top by one of our luxurious “Europian Ice Huts”, but through a process known as “single bore-double barrier blocking” this will no longer be of concern. The “single bore-double barrier blocking” process uses the single borehole/fishing hole with two different diameter tubes inserted. The area between the outer tube and the inner tube is then filled with a freon and rocket fuel mixture and capped thus preventing the inner water column from coming into contact with the ice around it thus preventing it from freezing (see illustration). This process then leaves us with a liquid, fishable water column that leads to the liquid ocean below.

Contamination issues will be resolved on-site through a double sterilization process of all applicable gear, technology, baits/lures, and fisher people. (Not to worry, the fisher people will only be sterilized for the duration of the fishing!) The double sterilization process, since conducted on site will eliminate all Earthly contaminants and assure that only naturally occurring “Europian organisms” will remain.

What will you catch? Who knows? Will you catch something or will something catch you? Purchase your commemorative certificate and Europian fishing license and find out!