2002-01-11 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Ice Explorer Conceived for Other Worlds Gets Arctic Test
A team of NASA researchers has successfully field-tested
a prototype
of a robot that may one day melt
through ice on Mars or Europa to look
for life. On a
glacier far above the Arctic Circle, the ice-penetrating robot—or cryobot—melted
the ice beneath it, allowing gravity to pull it 23 meters (75 feet) below the
surface. "There's never been a probe before that does what this one can," said
Wayne Zimmerman, lead engineer for the task.
There is very likely an
ocean of liquid water on Europa, making it a prime target in the search
for life elsewhere in our solar system. But getting to it requires tunneling
through an
icy crust several kilometers thick. Despite the success of the recent test,
the earliest proposed
cryobotic mission to Europa isn't targeted until 2030. Someday, cryobots
may even explore Saturn's moon Titan, where complex organic molecules may
tell us much about the processes that lead to life.
In the nearer term, cryobot scientist Frank Carsey has proposed a mission called
Cryoscout to dig for signs of life
at the polar icecaps of Mars. One of 10
Mars Scout concepts selected by NASA for further study, Cryoscout will compete
with the others for a 2007 launch to Mars. Cryobots could also examine layers
of ice within the polar caps, revealing the Red Planet's climate history and
telling us whether life was possible in the distant past.
"By no means is Earth merely a testing ground for Europa and Mars," said
Carsey. There are many interesting environments on Earth where a Cryobot could
be the best technology for conducting safe and effective scientific studies."
A case in point is Lake
Vostok, a body of water deep beneath the ice of Antarctica.
NASA researchers will discuss the cryobot live on the web on Friday, January
11, from 12 noon to 4 pm Pacific (3-7 pm Eastern/2000 Friday to 0000 Saturday
GMT). Watch the webcast live on NASA
TV and its mirror sites.
Check the NASA TV schedule
for details and updates.
More on this story
Full text of original item
from NASA, Jan 11, 2002
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