We want to send robots to other planets to explore new things. One of the new robots is called EELS, and it looks a lot like a snake. Its task is to look for signs of life on Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
Enceladus looks like a big block of ice from the outside. But below the surface, you will find the existence of sufficient water. Liquid water lies all over the Moon beneath the icy crust. This becomes more apparent when looking into surface cracks.
This water contains a substance called silica nanograins. It is formed when water and rock mix together at high temperatures. Scientists believe that Enceladus, like Earth, may have hydrothermal vents in its deep oceans.
The EELS robot is designed to explore and search for signs of life on Enceladus. It can move on its own and adapt to different environments, such as liquids, rocky surfaces, and confined spaces. It can slip into cracks in the surface and swim into the ocean. EELS will be able to explore places that no other space robot has been able to explore before.
A mission to search for life on Enceladus will be a big deal because Enceladus is one of the places in our solar system where life is most likely to exist. EELS robots are expected to unlock one of the universe’s greatest mysteries.
EELS is still in the prototype stage. However, scientists hope that it will be able to find Enceladus in the future. In addition to exploring Enceladus, the design of EELS will also be useful for conducting missions to other planets. The answer to whether we are one in this universe can be found through this mission.