3. The Subglacial Lakes of Antarctica
Mars has seen a lot of action over the last decade, but other destinations in the Solar System may be even more attractive sites for astrobiological exploration. Astrobiologists are particularly enamored with Europa, Jupiter’s ice-covered moon that probably harbors a liquid water ocean. A robotic mission is still years away, but when funding realities arise, analog sites offer consolation, as well as important testing opportunities for future spacecraft.
Over the past several years, a number of international teams have been working on drilling projects into ice-covered lakes in Antarctica. A team of Russian scientists and engineers finally reached the water of Lake Vostok after two decades of drilling, but other groups are pushing toward different lakes. The British are after Lake Ellsworth (with a snazzy hot-water drilling technology), while the Americans are focusing on Lake Whillans. Like any state-linked effort with a hint of competition, there is controversy, as many scientists believe the Russians have already contaminated Lake Vostok by pouring tons of kerosene down the hole to keep it from freezing shut.
These projects are appropriate practice runs for Europa, but they are also scientifically fascinating in their own right. The subglacial lakes have been sealed off from the surface for hundreds of thousands or millions of years, providing a unique and isolated environment, a natural laboratory for studying evolution and adaptation to extreme conditions.
Image: Lake Vostok’s location in Antarctica. (Wikipedia/NASA)
