Under Ice in Antarctica: The Icefin Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Development and Deployment

Abstract

Exploration of the furthest reaches of our planet, as well as other planetary bodies, typically requires the use of robotic platforms due to the extreme environments encountered. Some of the harshest conditions on earth are found in Antarctica and require the use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to explore remote and hazardous areas beneath the ice. The custom-built Icefin under-ice unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) has been developed for deployment in permanently ice-covered oceans, such as those found in Antarctica, with the intent of furthering relevant technology for future missions to Europa, a moon of Jupiter with an icecovered ocean. The design of the vehicle flows from program requirements that provide a road map for maximizing scientific data collection with the low-risk and low-logistical impact needed for polar science. Lessons learned from Antarctic deployment of the Icefin vehicle can be extrapolated for future polar AUV design.