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Sea Gliders for Other Worlds
An anonymous submitter writes: "NASA has, for the moment, killed funding for research leading to an underwater probe for Europa's suspected saltwater ocean. But it's possible that this is a good thing. SPACE.com proposes that U.S. Navy-funded research into underwater gliders could offer a superior means of probing Europa, exploring Venus, and even diving into the methane/ethane seas of Titan. NASA wanted a big battery and propeller machine under the ice of Europa, but that might break down, stir up water that should left undisturbed, and leak lubricants into a pristine research environment. The navy wants gliders with internal actuators because they have no flaps or propellers, no lubricant, and one already exists that could "fly" under the Pacific from Seattle to Tokyo on a penlight battery! Another model uses no batteries for locomotion at all, but instead taps heat gradients."
BH
Fools! They laughed at me at the Sorbonne...!
First of this is incredible technology. Low-impact approachs to exploration are absolutely what we need to avoid screwing up other planets as we have with this planet. Its always bothered me that we trash on Mars... but anyway, one comment in the article struck me as odd:
On Venus or Europa, that process is somewhat reversed. [...]
"A reversed gradient is nothing I would be too concerned about [...]"
So, if there is a reverse gradient, then doesn't that also mean that there is going to be extrordinary convection currents as the heated (and less dense) material rises to the surface. While there logically would also have to be a down current, the mediums would have to be really turbulent.
So, in order to heat up the machine to obtain energy to move actuators, one would have to deal with the turblence (in order to get to the heat source). I wonder if batteries are need in some way...
Now the real question is, how do we get these things off of the planet (or safely disposed of) once they are done being used.
I think this is a question that needs to be addressed more often (low-impact exploration). Who knows what kind of effect our stuff could have on other forms of life. If there were batteries, they would eventually have to leak and then there's battery acid polluting an environment.
The reason this low-impact is important is because it means we can do _more_ exploration without having to worry about the effects.
int func(int a);
func((b += 3, b));
Didn't you read the article? It has no lubricants.
:)
Of course not - it's a Government project. Ask anybody (especially around April 15), and they'll tell you that Uncle Sam never uses lubricants!
Me? Bitter? Nah....