Researchers from Stanford University and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have developed an unmanned submarine that could provide clues about how to explore oceans on other planets or moons. The team plans to use the technology to study the underbellies of drifting icebergs, which remain a relatively unexplored ecosystem on Earth. One day, the lessons learned from the design, construction, and operation of the submarine could help in the development of technologies for use on other worlds.

The technology was developed with support from the Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) element of the NASA Astrobiology Program. ASTEP was an active program element from 2001 to 2014 and supported investigations focused on exploring Earth’s extreme environments to learn how best to search for life on other planets. The types of projects that were funded by ASTEP are now competed under Planetary Science and Technology from Analog Research (PSTAR).

The work was recently featured in the Monterey Herald. The article is available at: http://www.montereyherald.com/article/NF/20160112/NEWS/160119936.