TRIPLE -Technologies for Rapid Ice Penetration and Subglacial Lake Exploration: Whitepaper by the TRIPLE Project within the German Space Agency Explorer Initiative at DLR

Abstract

TRIPLE (Technologies for Rapid Ice Penetration and subglacial Lake Exploration) is a project line initiated by the German Space Agency at DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt - engl. German Aerospace Center) focused on developing, demonstrating and providing an autonomous exploration system for subglacial lakes and ocean environments. The project aims to contribute to future missions searching for extraterrestrial life in the ice-covered ocean worlds of the outer Solar System by demonstrating an integrated system aiming for conducting contamination-free and robust explorations of subglacial lakes, including sample return. TRIPLE consists of three core components: a melting probe for penetrating the ice, an autonomous underwater vehicle for exploring the water reservoir, and an astrobiological laboratory for in-situ analysis of the collected samples. The operational capability of the technologies will be validated in a test campaign in Antarctica’s Dome C region, which serves as an analogous terrestrial scenario for simulating extraterrestrial environments. In this whitepaper, we present a comprehensive overview of the project line, highlighting its key objectives and the strategies devised to achieve them. Released as the second issue following the initial publication on May 29, 2020, this document serves as an expanded update to its predecessor.