Life on Europa to be explored: NASA has developed SWIM robots to explore the depths of Jupiter's satellite ocean

Scientists suggest that Jupiter's satellite Europa has a huge ocean of liquid salt water beneath the Earth's surface. It is believed that the amount of water in this ocean is twice as much as all of Earth's water combined.

It is hypothesised that if extraterrestrial life exists somewhere in the solar system, it is very likely to be found on Europa.

This theory can only be confirmed or disproved by exploring Europa's ocean.

Here's What We Know

NASA engineers have developed small robots called Sensing With Independent Microswimmers (SWIM) and are about to send them on an expedition to Europa. At the moment in the pool of the California Institute of Technology is testing SWIM apparatuses in conditions that, according to scientists, as close as possible to those that await the robots on the satellite of Jupiter.

The tests used underwater robot prototypes created from inexpensive materials on a 3D printer. Engineers and scientists are studying how SWIMs work and trying to figure out how to improve them so they can withstand the long flight to Europa and the extreme conditions on the distant satellite.

The robots are expected to help study the chemical composition of Europa's air and water and find living creatures, if they are present there. The devices will be equipped with wireless underwater communication systems to transmit data and determine their location while exploring the underground ocean on Jupiter's satellite.

The mission to Europa is still positioned as futuristic, so NASA engineers will have plenty of time to finalise the robots.

Source: Space