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posted by martyb on Sunday November 24 2019, @08:37PM   Printer-friendly
from the Ice-Rover,-Ice-Rover,-we-call-Nuclear-Tunnelbot-Over dept.

NASA has begun testing an aquatic rover designed to rove under the ice on worlds like Enceladus and Europa.

The "Bouyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration" or BRUIE does not swim, but rather

It's a wheeled vehicle designed to drive upside down on ice sheets. BRUIE is buoyant, which keeps it pressed against the ice ceiling.

BRUIE is currently in the Antarctic, at Australia's Casey Research Station. During the next month, operators will put it through its paces, testing its endurance in anticipation of a future mission to an icy ocean world, likely Europa. The testing will focus on interface areas, where the ice sheet meets water.

This is a good place for the three foot (~1 meter) long wheeled rover to investigate according to Andy Klesh, lead engineer on the BRUIE project:

We've found that life often lives at interfaces, both the sea bottom and the ice-water interface at the top. Most submersibles have a challenging time investigating this area, as ocean currents might cause them to crash, or they would waste too much power maintaining position, [...] BRUIE, however, uses buoyancy to remain anchored against the ice and is impervious to most currents. In addition, it can safely power down, turning on only when it needs to take a measurement, so that it can spend months observing the under-ice environment.

Even if all tests are successful other challenges remain. For example the ice on Europa is up to 19 miles (30km) in thickness, so reaching the ice-water interface will be a challenge. One possibility is a A Nuclear-Powered Tunneling Robot that could melt through the ice leaving a hole that BRUIE could descend through.


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  • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:58PM (4 children)

    by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Sunday November 24 2019, @10:58PM (#924299)

    Quick! Phone NASA and tell them about your incredible insight that they will never have thought of!

    I'm pretty sure they were going to send this billion dollar device half-way across the solar system without putting any thought into it at all.

    Starting Score:    1  point
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    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:15PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:15PM (#924304)

    Owww... you put me in my place! I feel like xhit now.
    Do you have a phone number? I'll call.
    You have any better ideas? Anything else to put forward about this? Why don't you comment on the story instead of trying to make your stupidity look good.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @01:15AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 25 2019, @01:15AM (#924351)

      Do you have a phone number? I'll call.

      Forget about the lackeys, go straight to the top!
      (202) 222 1400

      And you're welcome!

  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:48PM (1 child)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:48PM (#924319) Journal

    Actually, I kinda side with the AC. The thing ought to have some kind of swim capability. Adjust bouyancy, sink a little bit, and spin up a propeller to navigate when you run into obstructions. Until they've proven it to be true, you can't count on the bottom of the ice being slick and smooth everywhere you might want to go.

    • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Monday November 25 2019, @12:52AM

      by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Monday November 25 2019, @12:52AM (#924346)

      Oh I have no doubt you're right, but the way you phrased it and the word salad angry ramblings above are two completely different ways of making a similar point.