The
former
astronomer Carl Sagan published a scientific paper in 1961 on the
possibility that life exists on the moon below the surface.
https://www.nap.edu/read/18476/chapter/5
Plainly
the possibility that life could find a habitat amenable for existence
in the warmer and sometimes cooler conditions below the surface can
not be discounted.
Lunar
subsurface temperatures may be as high as 32 degrees f in some
locations. Subsurface temperatures on many solar system
extra-terrestrial objects vary greatly from air or near-vacuum
surface temperatures. Even on Earth, I have kept a gallon of water
from freezing in minus zero temperatures simply by setting it on the
ground and covering it with a a thick blanket; the heat rising from
the Earths core provides enough heat to keep water liquid for a time.
Sagan's
theory was that if life had existed at some point when conditions
were favorable on e.t. object X, that when conditions gradually
deteriorated for surface existence it may have migrated underground.
That
makes me wonder if future Venus probes couldn't land and nifty drill
themselves into the ground to avoid the 800 degree atmospheric
temperature since it might be cooler a hundred feet below the
surface. Below the surface it might be possible for computer hardware
to survive. Then it could extend some sort of periscope to the
surface to monitor things, as well as to release small drones on
suicide missions.
I
also wonder about using geothermal power, or more properly exothermal
power, to power a number of project missions on Mars and elsewhere
around the solar system. With electro-magnetic cannot becoming
common, a cheap high-quality power supply on Mars and elsewhere could
be used to send piles of exploration and supply shells through the
atmosphere or space surrounding any world.
