In the hunt for alien life, our icy solar system could hold the answers that we need. Autonomous submarines are being built to dive to their depths.
“The extra-terrestrial vehicles will explore the ocean worlds of our solar system, much like how the Mars rovers explore the surface of Mars,” she says. Top of the list of nearby water worlds is Europa, the ice-encrusted moon of Jupiter. Thought to harbour vast oceans kept fertile by volcanic activity, Europa’s ice sheets have long been a favourite destination to start looking for life elsewhere in our solar system. And with help from Nasa and other partners, Casey’s team at WHOI are busy designing the first submarine to explore this alien aquarium.
Do aliens exist? Scientists say it's unreasonable to believe they don't. Read this article at Wired to find out more about the alien hunt!
Image Credits: WHOI