Some of the biggest space missions planned for 2023 will teach us more about the depths of our solar system. But NASA has more than you might expect: A NASA-made robotic snake will crawl along in search of signs of life on one of Saturn’s moons.
Yes, you didn’t read it wrong. NASA plans to navigate Saturn’s moon with a robotic snake. This snake is called the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) and is categorized as a mobile tool platform designed to explore the terrain and search for signs of life. So why snake, NASA; He claims that this is the most suitable form for the surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
Thought to adapt to the oceanic world-inspired terrain of Enceladus, EELS is a long robotic snake that can traverse different types of terrain. This moon is believed to contain a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust, and EELS could help astronomers substantiate such reports.
The massive robotic snake was designed by NASA’s JPL robotics lab. It consists of different segments and these segments contain both drive and actuation mechanisms that will power the various electronics and allow them to communicate seamlessly.
It is not known whether NASA will be able to find evidence of life on Enceladus with EELS, but it is clear that the robot is quite interesting. You can see EELS up close in the video right below.
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