Underwater robots to probe icy alien oceans for signs of life
The American space agency has completed initial tests of small underwater robots designed to explore extraterrestrial oceans and assess the possibility of life in the icy shells of Jupiter's or Saturn's moons.
Imagine a swarm of mini robots, each about the size of an average smartphone, sent ahead by a probe that breaks through the frozen crust, swimming in the waters beneath the icy surface of one of Jupiter's moons or Saturn's moon, Enceladus. Once they reach this aquatic environment, the robots investigate a new, unknown world to seek signs of life beyond Earth. Sounds like a scenario straight out of a science fiction movie? It's already happening.
A swarm of small swimming robots may search for life on other planets
Engineers from NASA have recently completed the first tests of a modern exploration mission concept that involves using small underwater robots to search for signs of life on other planets and moons. The SWIM project (Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers) proposes that these mini robots will break free upon reaching an icy ocean to gather data on that location's chemical and thermal properties.
When the Europa Clipper probe arrives at Jupiter in 2030, it will perform numerous flybys of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, using advanced scientific instruments to search for evidence that the ocean beneath its icy surface might sustain life. NASA plans for the tested group of miniature, autonomous swimming robots from the SWIM project to contribute to this mission. These innovative robots, resembling cell phones, are designed to function autonomously in environments millions of kilometres away from Earth.
"People might ask, why is NASA developing an underwater robot for space exploration? It’s because there are places we want to go in the solar system to look for life, and we think life needs water. So we need robots that can explore those environments – autonomously, hundreds of millions of miles from home," explained Ethan Schaler from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
According to NASA, the design of the micro-swimmers is based on the concept of using dozens of autonomous robotic units to navigate the water. After breaking through the icy shell, they would reach the subsurface oceans. These small robots, measuring 42 centimetres, would collect data on chemical and temperature signals that might indicate the presence of life in these extreme conditions.
A swarm of swimming robots will also be useful for exploring Earth's oceans
The tests were conducted in a pool at Caltech in Pasadena, California, where the prototypes' maneuverability and autonomous operation were assessed. A dual-propeller robot with four steering fins uniquely explored the pool's surface, moving in lawnmower-like patterns.
Computer simulations were carried out alongside real-world tests to verify the data collection capabilities of these robots' digital models. These analyses contributed to developing algorithms and testing the limits of these devices' abilities in potential, unknown research conditions.
Additionally, a team from Georgia Tech, supporting the tests, developed an ocean sensor measuring multiple parameters simultaneously. These innovative technological solutions require many more years of development before being deployed in space missions, but they are already enhancing oceanography research on Earth.
