Technologies for Lunar Exploration
Stephen Indyk Systems Engineer
Kris Zacny VP
LEAG 11 October 2017
Background
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• Over the past two decades, we developed numerous robotic
systems for lunar exploration
• These could be used on small and large landers, rovers, and
by astronauts
• Science:
– Heat Flow Probe
– Seismic
– Corner Cube Reflector
• Exploration
– ISRU
– Pneumatic Sampling
– Coring and drilling
– Scoops
– Geotechnical systems
– Rovers
Regolith Sample Acquisition and Delivery
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PlanetVac
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Project with The
Planetary Society
Vacuum Chamber Results
• Average sample mass captured: 20 grams
• Average gas mass at 160 kPa: 0.02 gram
• 1 gram of gas at ~160 kPa could loft over 1000 grams of soil
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Heat Flow Probe
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Heat Flow Probe
Nagihara et al., LSC, 2008
The big issues:
• thermal isolation between
thermocouples themselves
• and from a surface lander/system
Thermal conductivity k:
• heat regolith,
• measure T change
Flow = - k *
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• 2 Heat Flow probes 10 m apart: 2 independent measurement and lateral variation
• A15: drill got ‘stuck’ and never managed to drill deep enough (2.4 m)
• A16: astronaut tripped over the wires – experiment got damaged
• A17: success but it was a tough work!
Apollo Experience
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How to penetrate lunar regolith?
• Two options:
1. Remove regolith and make space for the probe
2. Crush regolith and push it into the borehole (pile driver)
• Examples
1. Drill a hole, insert a heat probe into it
2. Drill a hollow, low conductivity casing, insert a probe
(Apollo)
3. Drill a probe into the regolith
4. Pound the regolith into the regolith
1. Top hammer system
2. Mole
5. Pneumatic
http://www.astronautarchives.com/Apollo.htm
Not collapsed
Pneumatics: Proof of Concept
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• Excavation accomplished by injecting gas
• Use dedicated gas tank or He from propulsion
system
• Large gas efficiencies possible if deployed in
vacuum
Components and Deployment
• Compressed gas flows down the tube within the
stem and perforated cone and impacts regolith
underneath the cone
• Gas lifts regolith out of the hole
TRL 5 (1.2 kg)
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Proof of Concept to 3m: Pneumatic Spear/Drill
• Tests at 760 torr with 20 N Force in compacted (1.9 g/cc) NU-LHT-2M
• Gas Flow 2-2.5 ft^3/min. Approx. 67-83 grams of air at 120 PSI
• Reached 3 m in 1 min
3.5 m
NU-LHT-2M
Vibratory
compacted
Vibrator
Gas flows
down
Hollow
Rod
Testing deployment
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Test in NU-LHT-2M
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Vibratory
compacted
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Pneumatic drilling to 2 m
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Tests in NU-LHT-2M
• Reached 2 m in 2 min
• Stop and Go successful
(required for getting k
at various depths)
~2 m
Seismic Probe
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Seismic
• Seismic sensor to be placed 0.5 m – 1 m below the
surface to improve sensitivity (i.e. less noise from thermal
waves, better coupling to ground)
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PI: Matt Siegler
PSI
Seismic Testing
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• Pneumatically drilled with a 5 cm
diameter probe
• NU-LHT-2M compacted to 1.9 g/cc
• Tests in vacuum chamber
Seismic Testing
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• 1 m in 25 seconds
Acknowledgements
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• SBIR
• PIDDP
• PICASSO
• The Planetary Society
Thank you!
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