What is happening
NASA is developing small robots to swim in the underground oceans of the rest of the world.
Why it matters.
In our solar system, the seas hidden around the moon like Jupiter, Europa or Saturns Enceladus are considered capable of testing alien life.
what's next
The space agency is funding the development and testing of a low-cost prototype. Some of the most promising places to find alien life outside of Earth are the hidden oceans that lie beneath the thick icy spheres on other worlds, such as Saturn's moon Enceladus. NASA is funding research to develop small swimming robots that can explore these dark depths for extraterrestrial life.
Liquid water flames erupt into space through cracks in the frozen surface of Enceladuss, and when NASA's Cassini spacecraft flew through this cosmic fog, it discovered interesting molecules that are often associated with the presence of methane-like life. NASA engineer Ethan Schiller has developed a concept that includes a school of ice melt investigations and a school of cell phone-sized water drones to explore such a terrifying environment. Its name is Sensing with Independent MicroSwimmers SWIM and it has recently received funding to build and test 3D printed prototypes.
"With a multitude of small swimming robots, we are able to detect large amounts of seawater and improve our measurements through a number of robots that collect data in the same area," Schiller said in a statement. The project recently received 600,000 in the second round of funding from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program. The project, known as SWIM, was awarded $ 125,000 in NIAC funds in the first phase to conduct a feasibility study and design.
The triangular swimming robot can be loaded into a large crewboat design that probably makes its way to the ice using radiation. Creobot concepts are currently being developed through other NASA programs. Existing crewboat designs have been tested by a lander on the surface for communication and control. SWIM team scientist Samuel Howell says small swimmers can extend the reach of the probe in the same way that NASA's Ingenuity helicopter extended the scope of its reconnaissance mission to Mars.
What if, after so many years, after entering an ocean, you come to the wrong place through the ice shell, what if there are signs of life but not the place where you entered the ocean, said Hole. Bringing these flags of robots with us will enable us to explore our environment much more than a crewbot allows. It will take some time when small boats can touch a strange sea. The concept is not currently linked to any NASA mission in the world. But the Europa Clipper mission to the moon of the same name, Juvenile, will certainly provide valuable data on another frozen world covering the underground ocean. It starts in 2024 with the planned arrival in Europa in 2030.
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