NASA is currently investigating the feasibility of a “cryobot” probe that would drill through the ice crusts of moons such as Europa and Enceladus to directly detect liquid water and discover the possibility of life beyond Earth.
Apart from Mars, scientists are focusing their efforts on two other candidates: Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
Compelling evidence indicates the potential existence of subsurface oceans beneath thick layers of water ice on these icy moons.
NASA is currently studying the viability of a “cryobot” mission, which would drill through the ice crusts of these moons to directly detect the existence of liquid water and explore the potential for supporting life forms. This is likely to be a nuclear-powered probe that will be deployed with the assistance of a lander.
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