Scientists at the University of Arizona have demonstrated that drones equipped with ground-penetrating radar can map buried glaciers on Earth, providing a potential method for locating accessible water ice on Mars.
The research, published March 24 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, involved flying radar-mounted drones low over debris-covered glaciers in Alaska and Wyoming. These sites mimic Martian conditions, where water ice lies beneath layers of rock and dust. The technology revealed ice thickness, debris layers as thin as a few feet, and internal ice structures, with results validated through excavations, drilling, and simulations.
If you want to make decisions about where to drill on Mars, you need to know if the ice you are trying to find is under one meter of debris or 10, said Roberto Aguilar, lead author and doctoral researcher at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.
Unlike orbiting spacecraft, drones fly close to the surface for higher-resolution imaging, enabling mission planners to identify sites where ice is nearest the top. This could complement orbiters, which detect broad ice regions, and rovers, which drill, in a layered strategy to reduce risks and target optimal locations efficiently.
The approach fills a gap in current capabilities, offering precise data on debris cover that orbiters cannot resolve.