NASA funded robots to search for life under Arctic ice

In a mission that is apparently similar to searching for life under the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa (sans the space travel part), three robots are set to start a mission to explore the underwater hot springs under the ice of the Arctic: because someone else did the Antarctic last year. On a 40 day expedition in July, researchers from Cape Cod hope to use three new robotic vehicles -- two that can operate without cables under ice -- to find life that resides in the hot streams along the techtonic boundary between Eurasia and North America. Although the robots can descend over 3 miles under the water working just meters from the bottom to photograph objects and collect samples, the task of the NASA-funded $450,000 Puma and Jaguar robots will be hindered by the rough terrain and their inability to surface through the ice. Sounds like NASA's got quite a while to go until it can submarine around Europa -- they probably won't be able to surface there at all.

[Dean M. @ Jun 24th 2007 3:27PM]

anyone ever read Deception Point?

[Griff @ Jun 24th 2007 3:47PM]

Nope.

[Ellianth @ Jun 24th 2007 4:27PM]

I read it. Was that the first thing that came to your mind?

[Natedog @ Jun 24th 2007 9:27PM]

Oh man, this was definitely the very first thing that came to my mind just upon seeing the title of the article. If they find a big rock that's indisputably a fossil-encrusted meteorite, don't believe them. The chondrules aren't real.

[captain underpants and the bringdown gang @ Jun 24th 2007 4:04PM]

see? Apple is SO ahead of the curve, NASA is JUST now using cat-code names.

[ekauq @ Jun 24th 2007 7:18PM]

"three robots are set to start a mission to explore the underwater hot springs under the ice of the Arctic..."

to find a suitable location to start production of a robotic undersea base that, after humans nuke themselves halfway to extinction, will surface to rule the world :)

[ColonelSmith @ Jun 24th 2007 7:53PM]

Maybe they'll find the anchient outpost and a stargate? Anyone? Anyone at all. lol too much tv for me.

[Ignatius @ Jun 24th 2007 8:09PM]

And why are we using our SPACE program to look into ICE?

Shouldn't we be going out and colonizing Mars?

[bones @ Jun 24th 2007 8:45PM]

tectonic*. Spell-check...seriously.

[Alex Killby @ Jun 24th 2007 9:33PM]

Haha yes, Deception Point is the first thing that came to my mind!

[Chuckles McGee @ Jun 24th 2007 11:53PM]

"Puma and Jaguar robots will be hindered by the rough terrain and their inability to surface through the ice. Sounds like NASA's got quite a while to go until it can submarine around Europa -- they probably won't be able to surface there at all."

Quite a while? We'll see what global warming has to say about this!

[x.stepup @ Jun 26th 2007 3:09PM]

Europa is not on Earth, therefore any "Global Warming" will not effect it. Dumb Ass.

[Constable Odo @ Jun 25th 2007 12:01AM]

Groan. What for? To exploit another species. There are species dying out all around us and we have to look for more to destroy. Another half a million wasted.

[narco @ Jun 25th 2007 12:56AM]

hope they find the second stargate there as well.

Fishes,
narco.

[Zizz @ Jul 9th 2007 2:55PM]

Actually, they're going to find Megatron. He's frozen, but waiting to be awakened. Keep the life force cube away, unless you want robots ruling the earth.

When looking at the ice, there is more than meets the eye.