EPSLOTS

"EPSLOTS" was the ungainly acronym for which their vessel was called. The EPSLOTS acronym came from the vessel ship designation "Europa Planetary Satellite LaGrangian Orbiting Tethered Station". Which is precisely what the EPSLOTS was. It was an orbiting laboratory/planetary station held in place by two forces...the single known LaGrangian orbital range of Europa and the stabilizing force provide to the tether connected to Europa.

Funding would never have been possible for the EPLOTS station without the near Europa flyby orbiting satellites coming in close contact with the oceans of Europa. Deep water temperatures and chemical compostion determinations and measurements had made the Europa satellite seem like a likely and targetable candidate for further planetary satellite exploration. DeepSoars distant cousin - the Europa Ice Needle Satellite had been sent on deepwater exploration of the satellite years earlier.

Bried contact had been made with the larger organisms and had detected the coonfirmable presence of xenomicrobiolical life. This sent the NASA Operations leadership and funding teams howling to congress for increased NASA funding - specifically targeted for further exploration and collection of xenobiological life forms since discovered in the Europa oceans. The funding vote was received almost unanimously by Congress (the one hold out being Senator Byrd).

An exploratory and operations committee formed at NASA almost the very next day. This was their day of triumph for further space exploration. It was noted that not only was this the most important step in space exploration of the century, it was (of course) the single most important discovery in the history of science since relativity. Even the policy wonks at NASA had to understand that the outpost station now planned for the Europa mission was to become a stepping stone for the ultimate and penultimate missions - further exploration of the solar system and beyond. EPSLOTS was to become that stepping stone.