Are we one step closer to discovering life beyond Earth? Perhaps so! NASA is testing tiny SWIM (Sensing With Independent Microswimmers) robots, which may play a significant role in the exploration of icy moons in the future – our eyes should turn to, among others: Europa (not a continent, but a moon of Jupiter). These devices are currently being tested in swimming pools on Earth, but they already show great potential. What are they and how can they increase our chances of finding life in space?
Europe is waiting. We have to prepare really well for this mission
Europe is attractive to researchers for many reasons: the possibility of primitive life there or even traces of it is just one of them. Hidden beneath its icy crust, the ocean may contain twice as much water as all of Earth’s reservoirs combined. And where there is water, there can be life. Exploring such an environment requires specialized tools. And not just any kind.
SWIM robots (even the acronym for this project is interesting) are supposed to be a recipe for success in exploring Europe. We simply need autonomous devices capable of operating hundreds of millions of kilometers from Earth. While they will work, we on Earth will only be responsible for analyzing the results of their actions. Researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab have high hopes for these really small robots. Why? Because thanks to them we can basically easily explore environments that have previously remained beyond our reach.
How do SWIM robots work?
Not robots, actually… SWIM robots are devices resembling something like a wedge, equipped with “propellers” that allow them to move in the water. During recent tests in the swimming pool of the California Institute of Technology, they demonstrated excellent movement precision. They moved in a strict pattern, flowing back and forth like a lawn mower, and even spelled out the word “JPL.”
The prototypes are made of inexpensive, 3D-printed materialsand their length is currently approximately 42 cm. Ultimately, however, it is planned to reduce their size to only 12 cm – approximately the size of a smartphone. Future versions will also be equipped with advanced wireless communication systems and multi-sensor measurement systems developed by engineers from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Check also: The Europa Clipper mission starts today, it will determine whether there is life in space
The future of European exploration
Europa Clipper is a NASA mission that will soon begin a four-year study of the icy moon – so it will be a key step towards answering what is probably the most important question on the minds of researchers and enthusiasts. In the future, SWIM robots may be sent to this moon to thoroughly explore the subsurface ocean. Equipped with sensors measuring temperature, pressure, acidity and chemical composition, they will be able to detect potential life signals. They may even come across very simple organisms, or at least traces of their ancient (or recent) presence.
But before this happens, scientists must overcome technical challenges. The devices must not only be resistant to the extreme conditions prevailing in Europe, but also be able to operate independently with the lowest possible risk of failure. Tests in simulated computer environments allow you to optimize their design and eliminate errors. Since SWIM robots are to be autonomous, there is no way they can be controlled directly from Earth. This would be very inconvenient: after giving a command to the robot, we would have to wait 35 minutes for it to be executed. What’s more, we would have to wait 35 minutes for confirmation of the action. This is because light (and radio waves) move in a vacuum at a speed of 299,792 km/s, and the average distance between Europe and Earth is about 628 million kilometers. Examples like these perfectly show how difficult these types of missions are and what limitations we have to face in them. Our earthly moon is a pimple.
SWIM robots will cause trouble not only in Europe. Scientists also see their roles on Earth
It is often the case that technologies developed for space are ultimately adapted for typically terrestrial research or applications. Miniature, multi-sensor robots can support the exploration of hard-to-reach places, including: about the depths of the oceans, which we probably know less than the Earth’s orbit. High pressure, darkness and technological limitations of the equipment built so far take their toll. SWIMs would fill our gaps in knowledge about what is hidden at the bottom of the seas and oceans – and this is also an interesting issue. There may be one obstacle: money, because the development of these robots is not cheap (despite the use of cost-cutting solutions). However, the potential discoveries that may result from them seem to compensate for the considerable expenses. If we find life beyond Earth and in the solar system, we will be dealing with a breakthrough.
Check also: NASA will find extraterrestrial life? Here’s how he can do it
There’s still a long way to go before we start exploring Europa – we’ve just launched the Europa Clipper into space. In the future, robots such as SWIMs may be of great help in current efforts. Will these devices in the future help us find the answer to the question whether we are alone in the universe? If there really is “something” in Europe, we are probably doomed to it. And I won’t be exaggerating when I say it again: this will be an incredible breakthrough for science. We will be able to check how simple organisms in Europa’s under-ice ocean have adapted to the conditions there and whether they are at all similar to what we know from Earth.
I wish both myself and you that we will know the answers to these questions in our lifetime. Knowing that we have achieved something so amazing as humanity will be a really nice experience.
Source: antyweb.pl
