NASA reveals herd of 'messenger' robots to meet aliens

It's a project led by mechanical engineer Ethan Schaler from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), who first got the idea for SWIMs - tiny robots that can swim and carry super-sensitive sensors.

Graphic depicting cryobot dropping SWIMs into an alien ocean

According to SciTech Daily, after phase I of the project with a grant of 125,000 USD from NASA's Advanced Innovative Ideas (NIAC) fund to study the feasibility and design options, his team has just received an additional $600,000 for phase 2 to create real prototypes.

In the revealed image, engineer Schaler's swarm of robots like microscopic - but advanced - paper airplanes will spread across the alien ocean to reach hypothetical creatures.

They are designed to be very small compared to similar mission robots, as this would allow them to easily be carried as a swarm through the thick ice above the oceans of Saturn's moon Enceladus or the moon's stars. Jupiter Europa. The more, the wider the search scope.

Tiny SWIM robots

About 40 SWIM robots about 12cm in length will be encapsulated in a small 25cm diameter cryobot tube, acting like a submarine to bring them into the ocean.

Currently, scientists do not have a specific purpose to bring the SWIMs to accompany the mission, but it will certainly be after the Europa Clipper mission (scheduled to launch in 2024) brings back the first data about the oceans of the planet. Europa, thereby orienting the next missions.

Europa Clipper primarily acts as an orbiter, collecting telemetry data as it orbits the icy moon. The data from it will help the landers choose the right location and approach to the alien world.