...I think Europa is more likely to have macro-faunal biota. Even a teasing hint of a convecting cryosphere over an ocean with a steady supply of oxidants is enough to make Europa a front-runner. Titan may not have enough of an energy input from space to sustain a macro-scale biosphere, but Europa sure does. The big question: does it have enough reductants? To be sustainable it needs cycles of oxidation and reduction and that's a question an orbiter might be able to answer. Would also be very useful to know how much crustal distortion is happening - and see it happening in real time.
A lander would be fantastic, but it'd be awful risky with the minimal capabilities we could pack into it... though an impactor? Maybe. It might hit a patch of thick ice and be a total wasted effort.
Space/Science » in reply to Europa is the next logical step
As much as I love Titan...
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- Next Flagship: Europa
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- Glass Half Full
- Europa is the next logical step