NASA Tests Miniature Robots for Exploring Oceans on Icy Moons

The SWIM prototypes, designed to detect signs of life, successfully completed initial trials and could one day explore Europa's subsurface oceans.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has tested SWIM (Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers) robots, designed to autonomously explore subsurface oceans on icy moons like Europa.
The robots, roughly the size of a cellphone, are equipped with sensors to measure temperature, pressure, pH, and chemical composition, essential for detecting conditions that could support life.
Initial tests in a swimming pool demonstrated the robots' maneuverability and ability to operate in a coordinated swarm for efficient data collection.
The SWIM prototypes are constructed using cost-effective 3D-printed materials and are being refined to withstand the extreme environments of extraterrestrial oceans.
NASA's Europa Clipper mission, set to arrive in 2030, will conduct flybys of Europa, and future missions may deploy the SWIM robots to explore its subsurface oceans in search of life.