Exploring Oceans of Europa with a Cryobot - Ep. 13
For September's episode, we hear from Bill Stone, CEO and Founder at Stone Aerospace, a U.S.-based aerospace startup developing their Valkyrie cryobot, alien-hunting submarine, underwater UAV's, surface space bots, and more. In pondering about the potential aphotic cellular lifeforms under the 20km ice shell of Europa, the smallest of 79 moons orbiting Jupiter, Bill provides a mission overview of the 300 kg Crybot, innovations such as the hot water laser drill system, and key challenges related to ice penetration, mobility, power, communication, and thermal constraints of the cryobot. We dive into the technical design considerations for extraterrestrial life detection systems including devices such as fluorescent UV spectrometer, polarographic 3D microscopes, DNA sequencers, and the proposed National Europa Simulator. 60 Seconds in Space Nano-diamond Self-charging Batteries Could Disrupt Energy Launching Carbon-foam Probes to Celestial Bodies