From 1995 to 2003, the NASA spacecraft Galileo made a few circles around the Jupiter’s moon Europe. Some of the results obtained during observations of the moon, pointed to the existence of a liquid ocean under the icy surface of Europa. The ocean, the researchers believe could Harbor microbial life or evidence of extinct store. Although scientists generally agreed on where to search for life under a thick ice shell, where the water comes in contact with a rocky core and where there may be biochemical ingredients for life.
But how to get there, to collect samples, scientists argue till now.
Robot tunneled
“Estimates of the thickness of the ice shell is in the range from 2 to 30 kilometers and is the main barrier that will have to overcome any lander to gain access to areas that, in our view, may contain biosignature characteristic of life in Europe,” says Andrew Dombard, associate Professor of Earth Sciences and environment at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Dombard and his colleagues presented a possible solution to this problem at the meeting of the American geophysical Union in Washington, D.C., this week: nuclear tunneling probe.
Dombard and his wife d’arcy Meyer-Dombard part of a group of scientists from the research group at the COMPASS Research centre. At NASA Glenn, a multidisciplinary group of scientists and engineers involved in the development of technologies and solutions for space exploration and scientific missions.
The researchers conducted a conceptual study, “tunnel robot,” with a nuclear facility, which can penetrate through the icy shell and reach the top of the ocean of Europa, bearing devices and tools that can be used to search for evidence of existing or extinct life. The robot will also assess the habitability of the ice shelf.
“We never thought about how the tunnel boat to get to Europe or deployed in the ice,” says Dombard. “We just assumed that he would be able to get there and focused on how it will operate during the descent to the ocean”.
The bot will have to collect samples of ice across the shell, and water on the border of ice water, and look at the lower part of the ice in search of microbial biofilms. The robot will also be able to look for liquid water “lake” in the ice shell.
Scientists have considered two designs for my bot: one is driven by a small nuclear reactor, and the other bricks General Purpose Heat Source — modules-sources of radioactive heat, designed for space missions. The heat from both these sources can be used for melting of the ice shell. Communication will be provided by the chain of “repeaters” connected to the bot with fiber-optic cables.
NASA regularly sponsors the conceptual study, to check at what stage of development are technologies that can help us find answers to important questions in the Solar system. Perhaps there is no more important question than “is there life anywhere else?”, and Europe is one of the best places to search. If the tunnel mission is planned, which of the two projects will be selected remains to be seen.
Do you think there is in Europe life? Tell us in our chat in Telegram.