Robots Under Antarctica’s Ice..and One Day in Space? – Dunedin – 21 August 2018

Robotic Vehicles Under Antarctica’s Ice… and One Day in Space?

In 2021 NASA will launch the Europa Clipper mission to explore Jupiter’s moon, Europa. One of the most enticing targets in the search for life beyond Earth, Europa’s icy outer shell hides a global ocean, powered by immense tides. If its interior is active today, this ocean may provide the energy to help sustain a biosphere.

In this talk Dr Britney Schmidt from the Georgia Institute of Technology will outline how researchers are using the autonomous underwater vehicle Icefin, to explore the harsh environments beneath the Antarctic ice shelves as a test bed for developing vehicles that may one day explore below the surface of Europa.

Come and hear about our own cosmic backyard. In partnership with the University of Otago and Antarctica New Zealand, learn about the exciting Ross Ice Shelf Programme and how it’s using this new robotic capability to better understand both climate and planetary science.