NASA Is Looking for Clues in the Ocean Floor to Unlock Mysteries of Space

We are familiar with NASA’s space-related work. But the space agency is also conducting deep ocean research to lift the curtain on space.

As is known to all that over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. But 80 percent of the oceans remain a mystery as the depths of space come to the fore more than the depths of the ocean.

NASA’s deep ocean research attempt

The Washington-based space agency is nowadays busy with the recently-launched James Webb Space Telescope, the largest telescope ever built to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. But the primary target of the space agency is to return people to the Moon and ultimately to Mars. That’s why NASA is mostly famous for its attempts towards space. To alter that understanding, NASA is currently pursuing clues to what oceans on other planets could look like by exploring the ocean floor in collaboration with the Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), according to BBC.

We frequently hear two terms “landers” and “crash-land” used by NASA officials regarding space missions. Likewise, marine biologists use the same language when they send research tools to the ocean depths. “Deep space and the deep sea are not as different as you might think,” NASA pointed out. “This synergy of ocean and space research makes a lot of sense when you realize that in both fields robotic explorers are sent to work where humans can’t easily go, with input from groups of people both relatively nearby and much farther afield.”

NASA

Orpheus is underway

To discover the deep ocean, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) set out to develop an autonomous vehicle dubbed Orpheus that will conduct underwater operations, BBC reported. Orpheus has high-sensitivity cameras on it to label rock formations and shells with the purpose of creating 3D maps.

“Orpheus is a gateway vehicle,” described Tim Shank, a deep-sea biologist who is leading the exploration program. “If it works, there is no place in the ocean where you can’t go.” To note, Orpheus also uses visual navigation technology similar to the Perseverance Mars rover.

Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter, is considered a destination in which a potential life is probable. It is believed that a huge ocean lies beneath Europa’s icy shell. Developed to determine whether Europa harbors suitable conditions that are compatible with life there, NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will begin its journey in October 2024 if everything goes well.

Europa on Earth

“Here we have Europa on Earth,” Shank said. “I don’t see how we could do exploration on Europa until we did it on Earth.” According to the scientists involved in the Orpheus project, if a robot could be able to explore Earth’s hadal zone, it could do the same on Europa. The hadal zone is the deepest area of the ocean.

“The ocean floor is a great testbed for us to develop the technology that we need in order to have a successful mission to one of these ocean worlds,” explained Russell Smith, an engineer of JPL, who is one of the builders of Orpheus.

Conditions that challenge deep ocean research

And of course, deep ocean research depends on the ocean conditions, weather, and salinity. Remember, suitable weather conditions are also necessary to launch a mission into space, where communication is exceedingly limited.

According to NASA scientist Zara Mirmalek, “It’s a lot harder to work in the deep ocean because the conditions are so challenging to the technology.”

Let’s hope that everything is on its way and hereby learn more about our blue-rich planet. It would be appropriate to say, “Develop on Earth, use in space.”