Ice Sticks – Ice Adhesion for Locomotion on Icy Surfaces

Abstract

Enceladus, one of Saturn’s icy moons, has been a subject of intense scientific interest since the Cassini mission revealed a subsurface ocean containing salts and complex organic molecules. This ocean, buried beneath kilometers of ice, is accessible only through surface cracks at the moon’s south pole, where geysers emerge. In support of future missions searching for extraterrestrial life within our solar system, we developed a robot aimed at exploring such environments. Using Peltier elements, the robot attaches to icy surfaces by locally melting and refreezing water and detaches by re-melting the contact area. Adhesion tests based on local phase change dynamics demonstrate strong bonding, often exceeding the cohesive strength of the ice. While originally developed for planetary exploration, the underlying principle is also applicable to Earth-based operations such as exploration and rescue missions in icy environments.