A team of NASA scientists told about the development of autonomous underwater robots that will explore Antarctica's ice shelves. The aim of the project is to collect data on the rate of ice melting. According to the authors of the project, the team has been looking for a long time for a suitable way to study ice melting and finally developed special robots. They are about 2.4 meters long and 25.4 cm in diameter. They will be launched through holes in the ice or from ships, and they will move with the help of underwater currents. The IceNode project plans to create a fleet of several robots capable of penetrating hard-to-reach places. Scientists emphasize that studying the processes of ice melting in Antarctica is critical for the global climate. Special attention is paid to the “grounding line” - the place where the glacier meets the ocean and the most intense melting occurs. The robots have already passed the first tests in the waters off the coast of Alaska. Additional tests are planned in the near future.