Searching for life on alien ocean worlds will involve these types of robots

Icy bodies like Europa and Enceladus have drawn attention as places that might offer answers to the age-old question of whether life exists beyond Earth.

Beneath their thick ice layers, vast oceans may hold conditions that allow microorganisms to survive, just as certain organisms thrive in Earth’s extreme ocean habitats.

Scientists are eager to explore these hidden frontiers, and several space agencies, including NASA and German Aerospace Center (DLR), have shown strong interest in missions that involve advanced underwater craft designed for these cold environments.

The submersible craft, known as Extraterrestrial Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (Exo-AUVs), could travel through the ice, analyze the ocean below, and help researchers learn whether life may be lurking in these deep waters.

Mission planners must decide where to look, which technologies to use, and how to meet core objectives for any future life detection effort.

Significance of Exo-AUV technology

Exo-AUVs have the ability to collect and analyze samples while cruising through ice-covered seas. They can operate in challenging conditions that include high pressures, low temperatures, and limited light.

Studies emphasize that these vehicles should carry an array of tools, including instruments for acoustics, vision, spectroscopy, and biological tests.

Each Exo-AUV would scan large areas, identify spots with a higher chance of hosting microorganisms, and gather physical and chemical data before sending updates back to Earth.

Researchers see these machines as important because they can perform “multi-object, multi-scale and multi-dimensional detection autonomously and efficiently.”

In other words, they are built to roam underwater for long periods, cover wide swaths of territory, and carry out detailed analyses.

Agencies are excited about the chance to apply these methods on icy satellites, where getting answers about life may finally be possible in the coming decades.

Searching for “biological potential”

A key mission goal for Europa or Enceladus involves searching for strong evidence of possible biological processes, rather than expecting an immediate yes-or-no answer.

By focusing on “biological potential,” mission planners can concentrate on scanning for biosignatures and perhaps even extant microorganisms.

The ice shell, the boundary where ice meets liquid water, and the seafloor all feature conditions that might support life.

Thick ice can limit sunlight, but hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor could still provide essential energy sources. In settings like these, even fragile clues might indicate living systems.

Researchers stress that identifying the right areas to investigate, coupled with the best equipment, is essential for spotting subtle signals that standard methods may miss.

Exo-AUVs need cutting-edge tech

Europa’s icy crust can reach around several miles thick, which poses a major obstacle for any vehicle hoping to access the underlying water.

A carrier craft must melt or cut through this thick shell, enter the ocean, and release smaller underwater units into the sea.

Plans call for using power sources like Radioisotope Thermal Generators (RTGs) or Small Modular Reactors, which can generate both the heat and energy needed for drilling or melting through ice.

The intense radiation near Jupiter adds another hurdle. Protective materials are vital to keep the systems safe. Meanwhile, the limited payload capacity of launch vehicles demands careful design to keep spacecraft components small and light.

Scientists are turning to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to miniaturize the instruments, shrinking everything from cameras to chemical sensors without losing performance.

What’s the plan?

A proposed roadmap sets out the path for designing Exo-AUVs that can tackle these tasks with more autonomy than any rover or lander developed for planetary science so far.

Mission outlines call for vehicles that start by exploring larger areas, then switch to closer observations in smaller zones to collect clues about life.

Researchers suggest that the roadmap should address crucial factors such as ice-penetrating methods, hull design, payload selection, and onboard autonomy for science tasks.

By following this plan, developers hope to avoid repeating mistakes from past missions that offered limited biological searches.

Each step aims to refine the design, allowing the Exo-AUV to move smoothly and monitor everything from local chemistry to possible cell structures.

Multiple Exo-AUV system to tackle Europa

A Concept of Operations for Multiple Exo-AUV System (ConOps for MEAS) has been introduced to tackle Europa’s varied environments.

The idea involves a carrier vehicle, called an ice-penetrating Exo-AUV Carrier (EAC), and two smaller Exo-AUVs with different specializations.

One is a Survey Module-equipped craft (EAS) designed to cover large areas and spot major objects on the seafloor or near the ice-water boundary. The other is an Observation Module-equipped unit (EAO) that can focus on tiny targets in localized spots.

This multi-vehicle setup also plans for in-water connection and disconnection, data sharing, and recharging – reducing wasted space and energy.

The EAC would stay under the ice as a home base for navigation and communication, while the two smaller craft carry out more targeted tasks.

Using Exo-AUVs to find alien life

To sum it all up, experts suggest that the approach of combining precise instruments, robust power sources, and autonomy could finally provide strong insights into whether life exists on Europa or other icy bodies.

If any findings from an exo-AUV mission hint at active biology, more craft could follow to expand coverage and confirm the results.

The vision is to conduct thorough investigations that adapt as fresh data arrives, reducing human interference caused by long communication delays of around 30 minutes each way.

By using multiple vehicles and flexible scientific methods, researchers hope to unlock the secrets hidden under miles of ice.

The full study was published in the journal Science China Earth Sciences.

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