SMuK 2023 – scientific programme
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EP: Fachverband Extraterrestrische Physik
EP 1: Planets and small Objects
EP 1.1: Invited Talk
Monday, March 20, 2023, 10:45–11:15, HSZ/0004
A Melting Probe for the Exploration of Subglacial Lakes within the TRIPLE project line — •Mia Giang Do1, Jan Audehm1, Clemens Espe2, Marco Feldmann2, Gero Francke2, Fabian Schöttler2, Dirk Heinen1, Stefan Kaiser1, Andreas Nöll1, Christopher Wiebusch1, Yuting Ye1, and Simon Zierke1 — 1RWTH Aachen University - Physics Institute III B, Aachen, Germany — 2GSI - Gesellschaft für Systementwicklung und Instrumentierung mbH, Aachen, Germany
Jupiter's moon Europa is a prime candidate for the search for extraterrestrial life in the solar system. Previous observations suggest the existence of a global ocean beneath the moon's icy shell. To explore the hidden water reservoir, future missions will need to penetrate the massive ice layer. The development of key technologies for such a mission is the subject of the TRIPLE project line (Technologies for Rapid Ice Penetration and Subglacial Lake Exploration) initiated by the German Space Agency at DLR. Within TRIPLE, an electrothermal probe will be used as the carrier system for transporting scientific payloads. A terrestrial analogous demonstration of the system is planned in the Dome C region in Antarctica. With an expected subglacial lake underneath a 4 km thick icy shell, Dome C does not only provide an ideal test site, but also a great challenge for TRIPLE. To fulfill the mission, it is mandatory for the melting probe to be retrievable and capable of releasing and recapturing payloads at the ice-water interface. This talk will focus on the technological challenges of the melting probe and present the latest terrestrial test campaigns.