To enable the use of the Recoverable Autonomous Sonde for exploring Qilin Subglacial Lake in Antarctica, its original thermal head was upgraded. The material was changed from pure copper to chromium‑zirconium copper, and the thermal head was redesigned as a solid construction to withstand high water pressures. Additionally, the incorporation of a water‑jetting component significantly improved drilling performance in clear, dust‑laden, and debris‑rich ice.

In this study, the formation process of ice chips was observed and the fracture mechanics characteristics of the ice during the cutting process were analyzed. Additionally, a mechanical model for the cutting force was established based on the observation and analysis results. Finally, influencing factors and laws of the cutting force were verified by cutting force test results generated under various experimental conditions.

We describe a new drill for glaciers and ice sheets. Instead of drilling down into the ice, via mechanical action, our drill melts into the ice. Our goal is simply to pull a cable of temperature sensors on a one-way trip down to the ice–bed interface. Here, we describe the design and testing of our drill. Under laboratory conditions, our melt-tip drill has an efficiency of ∼ 35 % with a theoretical maximum penetration rate of ∼ 12 m h⁻¹. Under field conditions, our efficiency is just ∼ 15 %.

The discovery of polar subglacial lakes, rivers and streams has opened a new frontier of science within a short span. We present a new environmentally friendly approach to study subglacial reservoirs based on the concept of freezing-in instrumented probes carrying a tethering power-signal cable. In January 2022, the probe was successfully tested in East Antarctica: it reached the base of the ice sheet and returned to the ice surface with samples of melted water from the basal ice.