Astronomy Cafe – Mar 28, 2022

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Transcript video of meeting

Robotics for the Ocean Worlds – Vickie Siegel of Stone Aerospace

Vickie spoke to us about underwater exploration using remote autonomous vehicles. Vickie is a system designer and also directs the robotic field operations for testing prototypes in analogous terrestrial environments. She has been with Stone Aerospace since 2005. They are working on prototypes for NASA, such as Sunfish, with the goal of exploring ocean worlds like Europa.

  • Ocean worlds found in the Solar System: Europa, Enceladus, Callisto, Ganymede, Trion, Titan, and possibly other moons and Pluto.
  • Europa
    • Ice shell, liquid ocean, rocky core, possible water plumes
    • Mission would look for possible life
    • Mission could include
      • Lander
      • Cryobot
      • Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUVs)
    • 14 – 30 kms of ice
  • Cryobots
    • Nuclear power is the only option – Compact Fission, Large RTG, GPHS Stack
    • Valkyrie – original laser cryobot
      • Steerable, ice sampling, spectrometer
    • Archimedes
      • 5 kW direct laser penetration
      • 22 metres /hour
    • Sub-surface mission environments
      • Suface
      • Cold ice
      • Obstacle avoidance, targeting
      • Warm ice
      • Breakthrough to ocean
      • Ocean
    • Thor
      • High voltage AC
      • To be tested on an ice lake in Iceland, drilling down to a subterranean lake
    • DEPTHEX – Mapping Cenote La Pilita in Mexico
      • Cenote Zacaton is the biggest sinkhole in the area
      • Testing underwater mapping, water chemistry to detect life
    • ENDURANCE –  Taylor Glacier in Antarctica in 2009
      • Measurements on 100 metrre grids
      • Sub-Chemocline mapping
    • ARTEMIS – Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 2015
      • 100-1,000 metres
      • Based from McMurdo Station
      • Sonar sensors
      • Size of a minivan
    • SUNFISH – much smaller robot
      • Peacock Springs, Florida
      • chooses it’s own route through the labyrinth of caves
      • Dragon’s Breath Hole, one of the largest underground lake in northern Namibia
      • Will deploy to Devon Island in a couple of years
  • Q&A
    • Communication pucks to help transmit through deep ice from the bot to the surface
    • Financing model? NASA research grants and other institutions. SUNFISH Inc is a spinoff company for inspection jobs.
    • How about a documentary?
    • Dealing with fear in underground/underwater environments. Focus on mission, not emotions.
    • Europa Clipper – measuring the depth of the ice with ice-penetrating radar – critical to subsequent missions
    • Tom Swift and the Atomic Earth Blaster – 5th book in the series (book cover) – Peter Jedicke
    • What about not drilling, but using the cracks in the ice or the plume holes?

Member Reports and Discussion

  • Lunar Sketching – Randy Enkin
    • Lunar sketch on March 20th – observed an occulted star appear just past the terminator!
    • Stadler 2mm sketching pencils for Randy’s birthday
  • Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair – Dorothy Paul (email)
    • Speciality judges needed – 8 subject areas of interest to astronomers
    • Fun to talk with 5th to 9th grade students this year about their posters and studies
  • Council meeting tomorrow – Randy Enkin
  • Astronomy Day on May 7th – Randy Enkin & Lauri Roche
    • RASC participating with FDAO
    • Volunteers needed
    • Daytime program at the Royal BC Museum – RASC
    • FDAO has sent a request for a public event in the evening on Observatory Hill
  • Astronomy Cafe – contact Randy Enkin (email) or Chris Purse (email)
    • Hybrid model requires some volunteers
    • Hosting involves room setup and hosting Zoom
    • New room at Fairfield complex
  • Edmonton Astrophotos – Dave Robinson
    • NGC 2022 – challenge object for Edmonton Centre members
  • Astrophotos – Dave Payne
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