NASA is developing small floating robots that can explore the oceans beneath the frozen surface of moons like Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, looking for signs of alien life, writes A2 CNN.
Europa is thought to have more liquid water than all of Earth's oceans combined. Its geological activity can create conditions favorable for life by warming the oceans beneath the ice and providing nutrients.
NASA's plan involves using a nuclear-powered thermal probe to melt the ice sheet, about 10 miles thick, and create a tunnel to the liquid ocean. The swimming robots will then dive to explore and take data on temperature, chemical composition and pressure.
Dr. Ethan Schaler, principal scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said: "Life on Earth requires water, and there is strong evidence that some frozen moons have large oceans beneath their frozen surfaces."
Robot prototypes, built with 3D-printed plastic, have shown promising results during testing in California. Currently, these robots are 42 cm tall and weigh 2.3 kg, but engineers aim to shrink them down to the size of a mobile phone.
Equipped with sensors to measure acidity, pressure and chemical composition, the robots will communicate via signals with the main probe, which will transmit the data to Earth.
NASA is awaiting data from the Europa Clipper and JUICE missions, due to reach Jupiter's moon in the 2030s, to determine whether its oceans have suitable conditions for life. If the results are positive, the floating robots may receive approval for an exploratory mission. (A2 Televizion)
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