Testing a Space Rover Under Alaskan Ice

the rover that our team is develop is an
early early early precursor of something
that we may someday fly to Europa the
buoyant Rover for under ice exploration
is designed to float on the underside of
the ice and roll as if the underside of
the ice is the ground
these ecosystems up in Alaska these
lakes that have freeze over every year
and then freeze down they’re just one
example of life in an extreme
environment that can help guide us in
assessing whether or not a world like
Europa could Harbor life we cut a hole
in the ice
put the rover underneath the ice and
then left it out there to Rove around
and we went back to a nice warm Quonset
hut and our team was even able to hand
over control to engineers down in JPL
and so we think this truly was the first
time ever that an underwater under ice
untethered vehicle has been operated
through satellite link
our work as this wonderful marriage of
advancing our understanding of what’s
happening on our own planet while
simultaneously feeding forward into our
exploration of potentially habitable
worlds beyond her