Europa Here We Come: NASA Tests Under-Ice Sub with Eye Toward Jupiter

Scientific American ^ | 14 Feb 2008 | Larry Greenemeier

[LibWhacker]

Oh, cool! I know you asked for no more links, but check this out: http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/7974/1/03-2907.pdf

I'll stop now while I go read it in full! :-)

[callisto]

Very fascinating! Ages ago, I was in a reciprocal program with NASA studying Space Science and although I am currently in a completely different field the interest has always remained. Here's a pic of the cryobot...

[callisto]

Very cool! Check out the tables near the end. Got to go finish reading...thanks!!!

[Professional Engineer]

Yeah, but Roy Scheider died last week so it’s ok.

Roy is gone, but HAL is eternal. Muhahahaha

[LibWhacker]

Thanks for the pic, fascinating. Really stimulates the old imagination.

Didn’t realize shielding was going to be such an important part of these missions. I always just figured robots... hey, they can withstand huge doses of radiation, no problem. Guess that isn’t so with modern electronics.

A nagging question I have has to do with the tether. They didn’t say much about it, but it seems like the melt water would refreeze once the cryobot passed and the tether would be frozen in place, never to be free to move again. Definitely implies the relay system will be a highly preferable solution, particularly on Europa. Cheers!

[callisto]

It looks like they are considering a tetherless system
utilizing miniature radio relay devices spaced at
intervals by the cryobot as it descends through the ice. I’ll have to keep an eye on this over the years. Several years ago the Planetary sSciety conducted a survey for future NASA missions and I voted for Europa, with Titan as my secondary choice. Eyes wide open on this one...

[Rudder]

An ultrashort baseline transceiver is lowered into the water...the vehicle's positions are determined data gleaned from sensors...the starboard bow (located on the right, if you are facing the sub's front)[but only if you're inside, and this is an unmanned boat]...

I don't think the writer is a technically versed.