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Probes Could Swim Through Ice on Mars or Europa

Posted by timothy on from the just-look-at-the-astounding-market-demand dept.

Fraser Cain writes "NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) has funded a proposal to explore the idea of a robotic probe that could melt its way through the polar icecaps on Mars or ice covering Europa's ocean. A swarm of these these 100 kg probes would sample pockets of air in the ice as they maneuvered around in formation, searching for evidence of life - either past or present."

11 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. Don't you think.... by HotNeedleOfInquiry · · Score: 2, Funny

    They should fix the shuttle gas gauge sender first?

    --
    "Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
    1. Re:Don't you think.... by HotNeedleOfInquiry · · Score: 2, Funny

      So I'm a troll... What the fsk does a poster have to do to be funny? Hell, there's only 12 posts, not like I'm wasting bandwidth...

      --
      "Eve of Destruction", it's not just for old hippies anymore...
  2. Let's hope they get it done right. by alexwcovington · · Score: 5, Interesting
    This is a good idea, but it'll take a lot to make it work right, especially difficult while the NASA budget is flung all over the place.

    It is especially important with all the water they'll be dealing with, that they take much more care with biological scrubbing... The recent news about the bacteria on the Mars landers doesn't bode well for sending anything 100% clean to the edges of space.

    --
    (It's never too late to join the Renaissance)
  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 4, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. Second of 12 by DynaSoar · · Score: 4, Informative

    There's only 10 more of the most recent NIAC phase 1 awards to trickle through the delay lines between the nodes of the blogohypersphere and find their way to /. as "news".

    Or you can get it over with and read them all at http://www.niac.usra.edu/studies/studies.jsp?cpnum =05-01

    You can also check the "call for proposals" link and wait until they open it up again, and send your Great Big Idea for consideration. Also, students can do the same, for scholarship money at http://www.niac.usra.edu/students/index.html

    --
    "I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
  5. Swim through ice? by rossdee · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't you normally need H2O in its liquid form in order to swim?

    While Europa may have liquid beneath the ice crust, the probe will still have to get through that crust first. Will it be taking along the necessary tools (Icehouse, auger and sufficient quantities of alcohol which seem to be required by ice fishermen to get through the ice on the lakes around here?

    1. Re:Swim through ice? by NiceGeek · · Score: 3, Informative

      Ok...once again Slasdotters have proven not only to be unable to RTFA but can't even bother to read the freaking summary - what part of "robotic probe that could MELT its way through the polar icecaps on Mars or ice covering Europa's ocean" didn't you understand?

  6. Obligatory by Z0mb1eman · · Score: 2, Funny

    "All these worlds are yours, except Europa"

    Better be careful what they swim into... :p

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    ClutterMe.com - easiest site creation on the Net. Just click and type.
    1. Re:Obligatory by ChadN · · Score: 2, Funny

      For another bit of fun, I just noticed that Google maps now has a map of the moon landing sites available, in celebration of the anniversary of the first landing.

      http://moon.google.com/

      Try zooming in all the way...

      As for exploring other systems that could be life supporting, as a NASA contractor, I hope we a) make it a bigger priority, and b) don't fuck it up by contaminating anything.

      I used to think, when I was young, that if we found extraplanetary life, in my lifetime, I would be alive to see an amazing change in orthodoxy, both religious, scientific, and otherwise. Now, both religion (crudely lumping the most popular ones together) and science seem to expect such a discovery, and each has already adapted and prepared for the day when such discovery is made. I'm personally hoping what we find completely defies prediction.

      --
      "It's overkill, of course. But you can never have too much overkill." - Anonymous Slashdot Coward
  7. This Is Good News by lorelorn · · Score: 3, Interesting
    A detailed search of Europa has been a high priority since the Gallileo mission confirmed what most people though after Voyager- a liquid 'ocean' under an ice layer.

    What makes this project different, and why it has actually advanced, is that someone has actually come up with a design that looks like it might work!

    It's long been known what you need to do to get under the ice and explore, but the particulars have never before reached even this stage- and it is an early stage.

    There won't be a mission to Europa in the next 5-8 years, but the next 10-15 looks more possible. Subject to budgetary constraints, of course.

  8. Why not Vostok first? by ThomasCR · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Before you bother to go to Europa, do try it at home! On Antarctica's lake Vostok. AFAIK, that ice above this lake is still not penetrated? Will it be easier on Europa, where the pH is around zero?