Tunneling into the Earth, mankind has reached a mere 7.5 miles total depth, taking 20 years to accomplish and still only penetrating about 1/3 of the way through the Earth's crust.
Researchers at the American Geophysical Union, however, are not satisfied and if they can't break that record on Earth, well, there are other options.
On Friday (Dec. 14) at the 2018 meeting of the American Geophysical Union, the researchers presented a proposal for a "tunnelbot" that would use nuclear power to melt a path downward through Europa's shell, "carrying a payload that can search for… evidence for extant/extinct life."
The proposed tunnelbot would deploy repeaters at depths of 5, 10 and 15km to relay information. Well past the depth of any hole ever drilled on Earth, and hopefully reaching the Jovian moon's inferred liquid saltwater ocean at an estimated depth of between 10-30km
I wonder if it will need bumpers on the sides like things closer to home?
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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.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 06 2019, @01:47AM
I always wondered if the lapse rate continued down below the surface into deep holes, eg Mel's hole.
(Score: 2) by black6host on Sunday January 06 2019, @03:58AM (2 children)
We're already fucking the world. We've got to make it literal? Mod me down, call me a troll, a Luddite. I'll tell you what, once we figure out what's going on on top, then we can start to look at how to blow it up from within.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 06 2019, @05:09AM (1 child)
You must be new here (Earth). First we figure out how to destroy things, then we look at any other interesting aspects of them.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday January 07 2019, @07:20PM
First figure out how to destroy things, then figure out how to do so more efficiently.
Idea: A Nuclear Tunnelbot melts through Europa's ice. This environmental disaster triggers an interplanetary war. Europa Is A Harsh Mistress. Hey if they can burn holes through our protective ice covering, we can destroy their ozone layer.
For some odd reason all scientific instruments searching for intelligent life are pointed away from Earth.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by crafoo on Sunday January 06 2019, @08:13AM (3 children)
Anything that gets us closer to exploring Jupiter's and Saturn's moons I am 100% behind. This sounds very cool. Europa is one of the 3 or so solar system moons that most likely has water oceans under it's icy crust. This kind of exploring robot would be wonderful! I'm a little worried that we will put this off for a few decades. Maybe China will get it done.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Sunday January 06 2019, @11:31AM (2 children)
Spoken like a mosquito that accidently taps into an artery. Do the words "Ice Volcano Plume" mean anything to you?
(Score: 2) by gawdonblue on Sunday January 06 2019, @08:33PM
"Radioactive Ice Volcano Plume" for when the destruction of alien lifeforms is a price we're prepared to pay.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday January 06 2019, @09:25PM