Jupiter's mysterious moon Europa, famed for its role in 2001: A Space Odyssey, may soon host an intense search for life.

The White House this week presented a 2016 U.S. budget that includes $30 million in funding for the development of an ambitious mission to explore Europa. The ice-covered moon has long been suspected of harboring a hidden, saltwater ocean that could be habitable.

Alongside the tantalizing possibility of life under Europa's ice, the fact that the second of Jupiter's satellites is similar in size to Earth's moon, has more water than our own planet, and shows signs of organic chemistry makes it one of the most exciting destinations in the entire solar system. (See "The Hunt for Life