NASA is studying Earth’s lava tubes to prepare for future caving on the Red Planet. Subterranean caves on Mars, Venus, and the moon could be ideal locations to create temporary homes and harbor existing Martian life, liquid water, or traces of long-dead bacteria or fungi. The challenge is navigating the winding paths and thick walls of these caves. One solution is to send expendable robots equipped with a breadcrumb-style communication network, consisting of a wireless data link that drops beacons or nodes as it navigates through the caves. The robot would also be equipped with a light detection and distance system (LIDAR) to map the underground passages in 3D. Meanwhile, NASA’s BRAILLE project is developing tools to remotely detect life on cave walls, aiding in the search for existing Martian life. Astrobiologists believe caves could support microbes, and the lava tubes of Mars are the “next frontier” for planetary and human exploration, with the potential to find biosignatures of putative modern life underground.
Exploring Uncharted Caves on Mars with Rovers
Scientists have been observing intriguing black smudges on the surface of Mars for as long as they have seen it from an orbiter’s perspective. It is believed that these smudges are the mouths of deep caves on the Red Planet, where the sun does not shine. These caves could potentially house existing Martian life, liquid water, or traces of long-dead bacteria or fungi that once thrived there. With the Artemis space campaign, researchers aim to develop technologies that will enable caving on Mars. These subterranean caves could potentially serve as ideal locations for astronauts to create a temporary home, protected from space radiation and dust storms.
The challenges, however, are formidable. Engineers would need to build a robot that could navigate through these caves without getting stuck on rocks. Additionally, they would have to figure out how to transmit images and data back from the cave-diving rovers. One solution to this is to send a robot into a cave without expecting it to return. This would allow the robot to venture into high-risk areas where the science really lies.
A new paper in Advances in Space Exploration describes a type of communication system that could allow small robots to venture into these dangerous environments without the need for a heavy, tangle-prone cable. The invention could potentially help researchers not only on Mars but on other planets as well.
The communication system involves a small robot connected to other rovers via a wireless data link. The robot would enter one of the skylights of Mars, believed to be a lava tube opening, with a Pez candy dispenser-like device loaded with small beacons, each about the size of a $1 coin. As the robot drives, it will drop the beacons or communication nodes, and if the mother rover on the surface senses that the signal between them is weakening, the nodes would serve as a breadcrumb-style communication network.
Exploring these caves on Mars with rovers would not only provide scientists with new insights into the planet’s geology and potential for life, but it would also help pave the way for future human exploration of the Red Planet. NASA is currently studying Earth’s lava tubes in preparation for exploring Martian caves, and with new communication systems and advancements in rover technology, the possibilities for scientific discovery on Mars are endless.
For years, scientists have been intrigued by the black smudges they have seen on Mars from an orbiter’s perspective. These smudges are believed to be deep caves where the sun doesn’t shine, formed by ancient volcanic vents. With the Artemis space campaign, NASA is exploring the possibility of developing technologies that would allow for caving on the Red Planet. But, the challenges are numerous.
To explore these subterranean caves, engineers would need to build a robot that could navigate through the cave system and not get stuck on rocks. Additionally, they would have to figure out how to transmit images and data back from the rovers that venture into these caves. One solution is to send a robot into a cave without expecting it to return, allowing it to venture into high-risk areas where scientific discoveries could be made.
The robot would drop communication nodes or beacons while exploring the caves. A new paper in Advances in Space Exploration describes a type of communication system that could allow small robots to venture into these dangerous environments without a heavy, tangle-prone cable. The invention could potentially help researchers not only on Mars but on other planets as well.
The communication system involves a small robot connected to other rovers via a wireless data link. As the robot drives, it drops the beacons if the signal between it and the mother rover on the surface weakens. The nodes would serve as a breadcrumb-style communication network that could help robots navigate the winding paths and thick walls of the caves.
In addition to the communication nodes, the robots would be equipped with a light detection and distance system (LIDAR) that would allow the mission team to map the underground passages in 3D. The same communication method could be used to explore ocean worlds, according to the team’s paper. A Seelander could serve as a mother ship on the surface. This robot could run a cable to a submarine, and the beacons would act as repeaters to boost the signal.
Scientists believe that beneath Mars, Venus, and even the moon are huge lava tubes miles long, formed by flowing magma and covered with crystals. Caves tend to have a life of their own, and the pressure and climate are different, water is protected from evaporation, and through interactions with volcanic heat and minerals, they could support microbes.
David Crown, a geologist at the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona, has mapped the region around Alba Mons, which has the largest concentration of giant lava tubes on Mars. The latest study by his team mapped over 300 segments, with systems extending up to approximately 250 miles. They estimate the caves could be 1.9 to 2.5 million years old. Astrobiologists believe these caves could harbor life.
Navigating the cave systems on Mars with rovers would not only provide scientists with new insights into the planet’s geology and potential for life, but it would also help pave the way for future human exploration of the Red Planet.
Exploring Mars Caves for Signs of Life
As NASA explores the possibility of caving on the Red Planet, researchers are studying Earth’s lava tubes to prepare for the mission. Scientists believe that beneath Mars, Venus, and even the moon are huge lava tubes formed by flowing magma and covered with crystals. These subterranean caves could be ideal locations to create a temporary home for future astronauts and could harbor existing Martian life, liquid water, or traces of long-dead bacteria or fungi.
However, navigating through the winding paths and thick walls of these caves presents challenges for engineers. One solution is to send expendable robots equipped with a communication system that drops beacons or nodes as it navigates through the caves. A new communication method developed by researchers involves a small robot connected to other rovers via a wireless data link. As the robot drives, it drops the beacons if the signal between it and the mother rover on the surface weakens, creating a breadcrumb-style communication network that can help robots navigate the caves.
In addition to the communication nodes, the robots would be equipped with a light detection and distance system (LIDAR) that would allow the mission team to map the underground passages in 3D. Meanwhile, NASA’s BRAILLE project is focused on developing tools to remotely detect life on cave walls, aiding in the search for existing Martian life.
Astrobiologists believe caves could support microbes, as caves tend to have a life of their own, and the pressure and climate are different, protecting water from evaporation. As over 50 scientists published in Natural Astronomy, the lava tubes of Mars are the “next frontier” for planetary and human exploration, with the potential to find biosignatures of putative modern life underground.
Exploring these caves could provide scientists with new insights into the planet’s geology and potential for life while also paving the way for future human exploration of Mars.
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