NASA ICEBOTS set to hunt for alien life on Europa

Because Jupiter's moon, Europa, has oceans lying beneath its surface, it said to be one of the most likely places in the solar system for life to thrive – researchers just have to burrow through miles of ice to find out. Now, NASA has unveiled a team of robotic prototypes equip with special tools to penetrate the frozen terrain and search for signs of living microbes. The squad of'icebots' includes a machine that tunnels through the icy surface, a folding boom arm, an ice gripping claw and a projectile launcher capable of grabbing samples up to 164 feet away. The team of'icebots' includes a machine that tunnels through the icy surface, a folding boom arm, an ice gripping claw (pictured) and a projectile launcher capable of grabbing samples up to 164 feet away NASA has unveiled a set of robotic prototypes that it said could one day travel to Europa. One prototype was inspired by so-called'melt probes' used here on Earth – dubbed the ice-gripping claw.