Now, take this a step further and imagine trying to conduct this experiment on one of the Jovian moons. Even a robotic mission would need supplies in the way of fuel and thermal protection. And, instead of traveling a few thousand kilometers, Jupiter and its moons are several hundred million kilometers from Earth. Keep in mind, this was during the summer. The extreme temperatures can be harsh on both humans and equipment.
Batteries last only a few minutes in the frigid temperatures.
Oil within mechanical devices can become too thick to lubricate properly, and electronics can simply refuse to function. As a result, equipment must be specifically designed to withstand bitter cold. There is also the very high possibility of contaminating the site with something from the drilling mechanism. The drilling method utilized during the borehole experiment involved the use of hot water. The resulting hole was approximately 10 cm in diameter.