NASA announced Monday that it has filed a Request for Information (RFI) to scientists and engineers for the space agency's mission to Jupiter's moon Europa.
The upcoming mission is part of the agency's search for life on other planets, according to Jet Propulsion Technology.
NASA is considering ideas for the Europa mission valued at less than $1 billion, excluding the cost of launch vehicles.
"This is an opportunity to hear from those creative teams that have ideas on how we can achieve the most science at minimum cost," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the NASA Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "Europa is one of the most interesting sites in our solar system in the search for life beyond earth. The drive to explore Europa has stimulated not only scientific interest but also the ingenuity of engineers and scientists with innovative concepts."
Officials said the deadline for submitting concepts is May 30, Space.com reported.
Europa is 1,900 miles (3,100 kilometers) wide - a little smaller than Earth's moon.
NASA has been studying different ideas and designs for the mission for years. The agency is currently funding the development of technologies needed for the science tools for a Europa mission, Jet Propulsion Technology reported.
Congress appropriated $80 million for this purpose in 2014, and gave an additional $15 million for 2015's fiscal year.
Scientists have previously found an ocean of liquid water under the icy crust of Europa, Jet Propulsion Technology reported. The ocean covers the whole moon and contains more liquid water than all of Earth's oceans combined.
To make sure an Earth organism is not introduced into the Europa ocean, the mission to Europa must consider protection for the spacecraft and tools from the moon's harsh radiation environment. The spacecraft also has to meet planetary protection requirements aimed at preserving Europa's ocean, which has the potential to be habitable.
Officials said NASA hopes to launch a Europa mission in the mid-2020s, Space.com reported. If the agency is able to launch the mission in this timeframe, it will closely follow Europe's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission (JUICE), set to launch in 2022.
