The gadget (whose acronym expands into Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor) is basically a 4.4-metre lengthy, 200 lb. mechanical snake that’s 10 centimetres in diameter.
NASA not too long ago undertook some area testing in Jasper National Park, though with a slightly distinctive gadget being examined and in a really particular area.
Scientists from the American house company’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) introduced EELS with them to Athabasca Glacier in September. The gadget (whose acronym expands into Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor) is basically a 4.4-metre lengthy, 200 lb. mechanical snake that’s 10 centimetres in diameter.
JPL scientist Dr. Morgan Cable stated that EELS is supposed to do what exploration rovers (reminiscent of these on Mars missions) can’t handle or maneuver round since some slopes are too steep for them.
“They still have some limitations. They are not able to access the hard-to-reach places.”
NASA now acknowledges the likelihood {that a} microbe shall be in small or hidden locations, not hanging out on the floor of Mars or Europa or Enceladus, utterly uncovered to extremes of strain and temperature.
“EELS is one example of a robotic architecture that’s designed to reach those hard to access places and hopefully be able to give us a better, deeper understanding of whether or not there is life in other places in the solar system,” Cable stated.
Cable and her crew have examined EELS at different areas together with their very own facility referred to as the Mars Yard, in addition to a ski resort nearer to their analysis headquarters in Pasadena, California. They have been on web site at Athabasca Glacier for just a few weeks within the fall to drive EELS round an space that supplied them a panorama in contrast to every other.
For one factor, there are tour buses. Those got here in helpful for the weighty robotic and the entire assist tools that may in any other case should be packed in.
“The other benefit to Athabasca Glacier is it has a lot of these features that we really wanted to test for icy environments: places like Europa and Enceladus. It has cracks, crevasses in the ice … moulins. They’re basically like conduits that tend to go all the way down through the glacier down to the bottom.”
Those moulins are fascinating from an earth science perspective, too. Her crew took some measurements for earth science colleagues who shall be utilizing that data for some upcoming science papers.
“What was enabling for us is having all those features in one place that was accessible,” Cable stated.
“We just really loved working with colleagues in that community. We’re so excited to be able to adopt us into that earth science cryosphere community as well. It’s been a really rewarding experience.”
Cable and her JPL crew have been to the glacier up to now with the EELS undertaking, albeit with solely the snake head the place a lot of the sensory gadgets are positioned. It has various imagers in addition to LiDAR, a laser 3D mapping gadget.
This fall was the primary time that they introduced two EELS prototypes: one which was the full-sized EELS to check for horizontal mobility on the floor and one other that was principally a few modules. EELS is designed to be expandable, in order that the crew can add or take away modules because the circumstances require.
This most recent check was a profitable one.
“We were very pleased,” Cable stated. “We learned a whole lot about how the robot operates in different environments in and around different terrain types. We also collected a lot of science data.”
In addition, they have been in a position to generate a bunch of LiDAR maps that can be utilized later for testing autonomy and different issues in silico, often known as digital house.
“We additionally did some measurements with a kind of devices that matches in an EELS module,” Cable stated. “We were able to tech detect all sorts of salts that are important for life as we know it while it was submerged in some of these glacial streams and other liquid areas.”
The testing continues, together with EELS’ autonomy programming. The risk exists that NASA will return to Jasper National Park for additional analysis. Or…
“Who knows, you may see a little mini version of EELS on the Moon or Mars,” Cable stated. “Who is aware of what’s subsequent? I feel this has laid the groundwork for lots of potential alternatives transferring ahead.”
