Could AI-enabled sneak robots help us investigate potential life on Enceladus?

We'll learn more this week on Planetary Radio.

I'm Sarah al-Ahmed of the Planetary Society, with more of the human adventure across our solar

system and beyond.

Saturn's moon Enceladus is a compelling target in the search for life off of Earth.

Its subsurface ocean has all of the necessary conditions and ingredients for life,

but determining if there is presently life on that moon is going to take some ingenuity and some out-of-the-box

thinking. Today, Morgan Cable and Hero Ono from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory join us to discuss

the exobiology Extent Life Surveyor, or Eels Project. Eels is a snake-like robot designed to navigate

the treacherous icy terrain and vents of Enceladus, hoping

to access and sample the ocean underneath to get us some answers.

But first, it's time to celebrate this year's highlights in space exploration.

Kate Howells, our public education specialist, will pop in to guide us through voting for

the Planetary Society's Best of 2024 awards. Then Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, joins me for What's Up and a new random space fact.

If you love Planetary Radio and want to stay informed about the latest space discoveries,

make sure you hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcasting platform.

By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode filled with new and all-inspiring ways to know the cosmos and our place within it.

Every November, the Planetary Society recognizes all of the amazing things that have happened in the last year space exploration with our Best of Awards.

Thousands of people from around the world cast their votes for the best space images, missions, and achievements of the year.

Everyone is welcome to join in, and this year's voting has officially begun.

Here's Kate Howles, our public education specialist, to let you know how to participate.

Hey, Kate. Hi, Sarah. Thanks for joining me and for helping to put together this best of 2024 awards this year,

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