In its quest for extraterrestrial life, NASA is designing a new probe, the Cryobot. The cylindrical robot can drill through it by heating the ice, reaching the ocean of liquid water below. Scientists speculate that there may be extraterrestrial life in the oceans hidden beneath the frozen surface of Jupiter's and Saturn's moons.
In February, more than 40 researchers gathered at a symposium at the California Institute of Technology to work together on the concept of the technology. During the workshop, participants learned about the power, thermal management, mobility, and communication systems required for this task.
The probe will carry a nuclear power system of about 10 kilowatts, equipped with a thermal management system to keep the internal temperature safe, and remove rocks, particulate matter and salt from the ice through a water jet and cutting system. To solve the communication problem, participants considered wireless communication methods, including radio, acoustic, and magnetic transmission devices.
Of particular interest are Jupiter's Europa moons and Saturn's Enceladus. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have committed to missions to explore Europa and have developed mission concepts to Enceladus. For example, the observations of NASA's Europa probe, which is expected to launch in October 2024, will inform the ideal design of an ice robot that would need to penetrate the moon's frozen surface and then transmit data from under the ocean.
While we are still years away from landing probes on these frozen moons, we are getting closer to the goal of truly exploring extraterrestrial oceans.
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