Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor

Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor, (also called EELS)^[1] is a snakebot vehicle originally designed to explore the surface and the oceans of Enceladus, a moon of Saturn.^[2] The JPL has also referred to the possibility of using EELS to explore locations such as lunar lava tubes,^[1][3] Mars's polar caps, and Earth's ice sheets.^[4][5]

Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor
Version 1.0 on ice rink (Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Owner	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Manufacturer	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Specifications
Dimensions	4 m (13 ft) long
Dry mass	100 kg (220 lb)

It uses multiple segments containing actuation, propulsion, power and, communication electronics.^[5] The segments use corkscrews to move across the ground.^[1] These corkscrews can act as propellers while underwater.^[5]

As of 11 May 2023^[update], the current version (1.0) weighs approximately 100 kg (220 lb), and is 4 m (13 ft) or 10 segments long. EELS has no scientific instruments, uses stereo cameras and Lidar, and it uses a tether for power and communications.^[1]