A robotic snake known as Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) is being developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to seek for life outdoors planet Earth. EELS will be capable of discover otherworldly terrains utilizing spinning wheels alongside its physique. Its main goal is Enceladus, a small icy moon of Saturn, the place knowledge from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft suggests the presence of a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust.
Plumes erupting from the moon’s floor function direct conduits to this liquid water, making them potential pathways to a liveable liquid ocean. EELS will crawl down crevasses and swim via water to analyze such environments, utilizing modern rotating propulsion models that operate as tracks, gripping mechanisms, and underwater propeller models. This could allow the robotic to entry a plume vent exit and hint it again to its ocean supply.
Dr. Martin Robinson, the mission supervisor, envisions a platform that might discover any location, even descending into lunar lava tubes. EELS’ adaptability opens up prospects for different locations, reminiscent of Martian polar caps and crevasses in Earth’s ice sheets. JPL is collaborating with Earth scientists to determine high-priority, high-impact terrestrial scientific investigations that may exhibit EELS’ capabilities in a planetary analogue setting. Exams have been performed inside Canada’s Athabasca Glacier and Mount Meager Volcano.
EELS’ versatility and machine intelligence make it appropriate for varied unvisited planetary locations and areas on Earth. The invention of potential life can be an unbelievable achievement, signifying that we aren’t alone. Dr. Hiro Ono, Principal Investigator at JPL, describes the mission as a “versatile, very smart, and tremendous superior snake robotic.”
Filed in . Learn extra about NASA.
Trending Merchandise
