SAN FRANCISCO. Dec 11: The Galileo mission to Jupiter has found evidence of salts on the frozen moon Europa, boost Ing the possibility that the moon has an ocean that might have once harboured life, reports AP

Signs of magnesium sulfate, a mineral normally formed on Earth where salt water evaporates. were picked up on Europa by analysis of light reflected off the surface

It could mean a liquid ocean rich in brine exists or recently exited beneath Europa's crackled. frozen expanses, say experts.

“That briny water somehow was erupted or extruded or aqulrted to the surface" where evaporation took place. «aid

Tom McCord. University of Hawaii professor and a Galileo investigator.

Salts like those on Europa can be found in dry lake beds in the Earth's deserts. McCord said.

Europa, the smallest of Jupiter's four major moons. Is the subject of an extended study by NASA because it likely has to important ingredients for life: water and internal heat caused by tidal forces.

The Galileo team presented findings and Images from the mission Wednesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting.

Johnson said the 1.5 billion dollars Galileo mission is in a kind of limbo.