航空学报 > 2026, Vol. 47 Issue (5): 332398-332398   doi: 10.7527/S1000-6893.2025.32398

深空探测用穿冰探测器发展现状

王征, 赵守智(), 李昊田, 孙征, 邵静, 侯丞   

  1. 中国原子能科学研究院 核工程设计研究所,北京 102413
  • 收稿日期:2025-06-10 修回日期:2025-07-09 接受日期:2025-09-10 出版日期:2025-09-25 发布日期:2025-09-24
  • 通讯作者: 赵守智 E-mail:zhaoshouzhi@ciae.ac.cn
  • 基金资助:
    中国原子能科学研究院院长基金

Development status of ice-penetrating probes for deep space exploration

Zheng WANG, Shouzhi ZHAO(), Haotian LI, Zheng SUN, Jing SHAO, Cheng HOU   

  1. Department of Nuclear Engineering Design,China Institute of Atomic Energy,Beijing 102413,China
  • Received:2025-06-10 Revised:2025-07-09 Accepted:2025-09-10 Online:2025-09-25 Published:2025-09-24
  • Contact: Shouzhi ZHAO E-mail:zhaoshouzhi@ciae.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    China Institute of Atomic Energy Director’s Fund

摘要:

地外天体表面的冰层及其下方的海洋环境已成为探索生命迹象和宜居性的关键目标。穿冰探测器作为突破冰层、抵达冰下海洋的核心工具,在未来的原位探测中具有不可替代的作用,成为深空探测的重要发展方向。系统综述了深空穿冰探测器的发展现状。首先梳理了太阳系内火星极区冰盖、木卫二及土卫二等冰卫星的冰下海洋环境探测进展。其次总结了地球应用的穿冰技术(冰芯钻机、热水钻机、盘管钻机及融冰器)的特点与深空任务适配性。重点分析了美国、德国、奥地利及中国在深空穿冰探测器领域的典型方案与研究进展。同时,探讨了穿冰探测器面临的关键技术挑战,如冰层高效穿透、障碍物探测、姿态控制、能源供应、信息传输及行星保护等问题。未来需通过多技术融合与创新,推动穿冰探测器实现地外冰下海洋的直接探测,为揭示生命起源和天体演化提供支撑。

关键词: 深空探测, 穿冰探测器, 火星冰盖, 冰卫星, 冰下海洋, 生命探测

Abstract:

The icy sheet on the surfaces of extraterrestrial bodies and the subsurface ocean environments beneath them have become critical targets for exploring signs of life and habitability. As core tools for penetrating ice layers and reaching subglacial oceans, ice-penetrating probes play an irreplaceable role in future in-situ exploration and represent a key development direction in deep space exploration. This paper systematically reviews the research and development status of deep-space ice-penetrating probes. First, it outlines the progress in detecting subsurface ocean environments in the solar system, focusing on the polar ice caps of Mars and ice moons such as Europa and Enceladus. Second, it summarizes the characteristics of ice-penetrating technologies used on Earth (ice core drills, hot water drills, coiled tubing drills, and ice melters) and their suitability for deep-space missions. This paper then emphasizes the analysis of typical design schemes and research advancements in deep-space ice-penetrating probes from countries including the United States, Germany, Austria, and China. Additionally, key technical challenges are discussed, such as efficient ice penetration, obstacle detection, attitude control, energy supply, information transmission, and planetary protection. In the future, multi-technology integration and innovation will be required to enable ice-penetrating probes to achieve direct detection of extraterrestrial subsurface oceans, thereby providing support for uncovering the origins of life and the evolution of celestial bodies.

Key words: deep space exploration, ice-penetrating probes, ice moons, ice sheet, subsurface ocean, life detection

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