British mission to find signs of life beneath Antarctic lake called off In one of the most ambitious British scientific projects in recent times, the hope had been to investigate early life forms in extreme conditions of pressure and temperature. The findings could have contributed to life theories on distant planets and moons, such as Jupiter's natural satellite Europa. The team had also intended to chart the continent's past climates via the lake's sediments. Russia succeeded in reaching Lake Vostok through 3,769 metres (12,365 ft) of solid ice to early in 2012. But some scientists believe their samples may have been contaminated by drilling fluids. In the British attempt, too much water and fuel was spent in seeking to make the bore hole connection 300m under the ice, meaning even if the link was made the rest of the mission was no longer viable. "It will take a season or two to get all of our equipment out of Antarctica and back to the UK, so at a minimum we're looking at three to four, maybe five years (for a repeat attempt)," Martin Siegert, principal investigator from the University of Bristol, told the BBC. Despite the huge difficulties of working in the region, he remained optimistic, saying: "I remain confident that we will unlock the secrets of Lake Ellsworth in coming seasons."