NASA has begun initial testing for the development of prototypes of futuristic robotic submarines as part of the SWIM (Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers) project. One day, these drones could be sent to moons in the Solar System, such as Jupiter's moon Europa, to explore hidden oceans in search of traces of life.
In the swimming pool at Caltech in Pasadena, a team of researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), led by Ethan Schaler, tested the first drones designed for this mission. The SWIM project aims to develop swarms of small autonomous robots capable of moving underwater and detecting chemical or thermal signals, which could be clues to the presence of life.
The hidden oceans of Europe
According to scientists, some moons in the Solar System, such as Europa, could harbour vast oceans of liquid water beneath a thick crust of ice. It is estimated that Europa's ocean contains twice as much water as Earth, making it one of the most promising environments for the search for extraterrestrial life.
The long-term goal is to send a space mission capable of drilling through Europa's ice layer and releasing underwater drones to explore the hidden ocean.
Technological challenges
Although such a mission is still a long way off, JPL researchers are working to overcome the complex technological challenges involved in creating robots capable of operating in extreme environments and communicating with each other underwater.
“Underwater robots are incredibly difficult to design,” explained Ethan Schaler, “and this is just the first step in a long series of projects needed to prepare us for a journey into the ocean world.”
From pool tests to space simulations
In addition to testing in the pool, the team conducted computer simulations to evaluate the robots' capabilities under pressure and temperature conditions similar to those found on Europa. These experiments are essential to ensure that the drones are ready to cope with the extreme environment of the icy moon.
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