Exo-Ocean Exploration with Deep-Sea Sensor and Platform Technologies
Abstract
One of Saturn's largest moons, Enceladus, possesses a vast extraterrestrial ocean (i.e., exo-ocean) that is increasingly becoming the hotspot of future research initiatives dedicated to the exploration of putative life. Here, a new bio-exploration concept design for Enceladus' exo-ocean is proposed, focusing on the potential presence of organisms across a wide range of sizes (i.e., from uni- to multicellular and animal-like), according to state-of-the-art sensor and robotic platform technologies used in terrestrial deep-sea research. In particular, we focus on combined direct and indirect life-detection capabilities, based on optoacoustic imaging and passive acoustics, as well as molecular approaches. Such biologically oriented sampling can be accompanied by concomitant geochemical and oceanographic measurements to provide data relevant to exo-ocean exploration and understanding. Finally, we describe how this multidisciplinary monitoring approach is currently enabled in terrestrial oceans through cabled (fixed) observatories and their related mobile multiparametric platforms (i.e., Autonomous Underwater and Remotely Operated Vehicles, as well as crawlers, rovers, and biomimetic robots) and how their modified design can be used for exo-ocean exploration.
Additional Information
© 2020 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Submitted 15 June 2019; Accepted 3 February 2020; Online Ahead of Print: April 8, 2020. This work was developed within the framework of the Tecnoterra Associate Unit (ICM-CSIC/UPC) and the following project activities: ARIM (Autonomous Robotic sea-floor Infrastructure for benthopelagic Monitoring; MartTERA ERA-Net Cofound; PIs: J.A., S.F., and L.T.), ARCHES (Autonomous Robotic Networks to Help Modern Societies; German Helmholtz Association; PI: S.F.), RESBIO (TEC2017-87861-R; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades; PIs: J.d.R., J.A.). M.M.F.'s work was partially funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through grant number NNX15AG42G. C.L.'s work was partially funded by the H2020-EU IF Maria Sklodowska Curie "HABISS" (Project 890815). Special thanks are also due to Dr. R. Sforza and Dr. G. Flati for their inspiration and suggestions at writing, and to Mrs. V. Radovanovic for support. A portion of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 102501
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20200413-095024607
- NASA
- NNX15AG42G
- Marie Curie Fellowship
- 890815
- NASA/JPL/Caltech
- Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU)
- TEC2017-87861-R
- Created
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2020-04-13Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-16Created from EPrint's last_modified field