Only one other project, called Nautilus , has attempted underwater meteorite recovery. But Nautilus was a collaboration of professional institutions and researchers only, who pulled pieces of a meteorite from seawater off the coast of Washington state just months after it fell.By contrast, Aquarius’ meteorite-hunting sled, RV Starfall, was designed and built by Adler Planetarium teen interns. Nearly every part of the sled is repurposed: Its meteorite-seeking magnets are affixed to cartridges from a 3D printer, while much of the sled’s frame is made from material removed from the Shedd Aquarium’s kitchen during renovations. Still other pieces of the frame are repurposed from defunct Adler exhibits.The sled is also operated by teen interns, accompanied by Adler staff and other researchers. Two years later, they continue to search for meteorite fragments in Lake Michigan. More time underwater — and in freshwater conditions — means that whatever they ultimately recover will differ from Nautilus’ haul. And whether or not pieces of an alien world are pulled from the water, the Aquarius Project is already making new discoveries at the bottom of Lake Michigan.As it scours the lakebed, pulled behind the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee research ship Neeskay, the Starfall sled is designed to gather material that fell from space. But it also collects valuable data on the conditions in the lake.And those observations have unveiled surprises. Although parts of Lake Michigan have been mapped in great detail, the area where Starfall is exploring, off the coast of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, has not. “We were literally the first people to see what was down there, the first explorers to venture there,” marine biologist and Adler volunteer Philip Willink wrote in project document.

Alison Klesman