NASA Unveils Underwater Robots for Exploring Jupiter's Moons

To investigate the enigmatic underwater seas of Jupiter's moons, including Europa and Enceladus, NASA has unveiled cutting-edge underwater robots. Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers (SWIM) is a project that includes these robots, which were developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Measuring just over two kilograms and standing 16.5 inches tall, these small, autonomous robots are capable of identifying temperature and chemical cues that may point to the existence of life. Currently being tested in pools, the robots will be a component of NASA's trips to these frigid worlds if they are approved and funded. These developments have the potential to completely transform our understanding of far-off moons and their capacity to support life.

These robots are part of a larger effort to find life beneath the ice surfaces of Jupiter's moons, including NASA's Europa Clipper and the ESA's Jupiter Ice Moons Explorer (JUICE), both of which are scheduled to launch in the early 2030s. The Dragonfly mission NASA will investigate Titan, Saturn's moon, which is likewise thought to feature a subterranean ocean. These initiatives are a reflection of the increased curiosity about the possibility of extrasolar life.