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Mars Exploration Rovers' Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) and a 45 mm diameter and few millimeter-deep RATed hole. Credit: NASA. Color images available online at www.liebertonline.com/ast
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Abstract The future exploration of Mars will require access to the subsurface, along with acquisition of samples for scientific analysis and ground-truthing of water ice and mineral reserves for in situ resource utilization. The Icebreaker drill is an integral part of the Icebreaker mission concept to search for life in ice-rich regions on Mars. Si...
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... the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) deployed on MER Spirit and Opportunity is not technically an excavator but a grinder, it is nevertheless a tool that has successfully pene- trated dozens of martian rocks ( Gorevan et al., 2003). The primary goal of the 680 g 10 W RAT shown in Fig. 3 was to grind away a 45 mm diameter and a few millimeter-deep hole and expose the virgin rock to arm-mounted instruments such as the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS), Mö ssbauer Spectrometer, and Microscopic Imager (MI). Removing the first few millimeters was imperative to the success of the missions, since martian rocks are ...
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... measure the resistance of the cuttings during drilling, two electrical prongs can be embedded inside the bit in such a way as to protrude slightly below the bit shank as shown in Fig. 12 (note that the drill in Fig. 12 is an old prototype bit and is not used in the Icebreaker system). Figure 13 shows the temperature and resistance of clayey regolith during a drilling test. The resistance at a bit temperature of -5°C, A diamond-impregnated drill bit with two elec- trodes sticking out. ...
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... drill followed the bite sampling routine. Figure 33 shows drilling telemetry in ice-cemented ground when the bite approach was implemented; that is, the drill was pulled out of the hole every 10 cm to deposit the sample and clean the auger flutes. The depth of 1 m in ice-cemented ground was reached in 50 min, and the average penetration rate was 1.2 m/hr. ...
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... frequent sample and auger retrieval out of the ground allowed both the auger and the formation to cool down. Figure 34 shows the Icebreaker drill telemetry from drill- ing a hole approximately 50 cm from the hole reported in Fig. 33. The main difference is that, in the current test, the drill continuously drilled to 800 mm depth, while previously it followed the bite sampling routine. ...
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... worked satisfactorily (the routine changes drilling pa- rameters to maintain drill bit temperature at or below 0°C). The frequent sample and auger retrieval out of the ground allowed both the auger and the formation to cool down. Figure 34 shows the Icebreaker drill telemetry from drill- ing a hole approximately 50 cm from the hole reported in Fig. 33. The main difference is that, in the current test, the drill continuously drilled to 800 mm depth, while previously it followed the bite sampling routine. As before, it can be seen that the depth to ground ice is approximately 223 mm; up to this depth, the power was very low, of the order of 20 W, while penetration rate was in excess ...
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... As the hole got deeper, the distance cuttings needed to travel to the surface got progres- sively longer, and in turn the auger frictional drag increased. It is worth pointing out that during the duration of the test, the temperature subroutine was successful in keeping the bit temperature at or below freezing. The two drill tests, as shown in Figs. 33 and 34, demonstrated that when using a bite rou- tine, drilling power is lower, penetration rate is faster, and bit temperature is lower than when drilling a continuous hole. Figure 35 shows the drilling telemetry in massive ice to a depth of 2.5 m. During this test, initially a bite routine was implemented to a depth of 1 m followed by ...
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... and 34, demonstrated that when using a bite rou- tine, drilling power is lower, penetration rate is faster, and bit temperature is lower than when drilling a continuous hole. Figure 35 shows the drilling telemetry in massive ice to a depth of 2.5 m. During this test, initially a bite routine was implemented to a depth of 1 m followed by continuous dril- ling. ...
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... 2.5 m. During this test, initially a bite routine was implemented to a depth of 1 m followed by continuous dril- ling. Every zigzag on the temperature curve corresponds to the drill pull-out event to empty the cuttings. Drilling telemetry to 1 m depth with the bite routine was quite uniform. However, past 1 m depth, the telemetry mirrors that in Fig. 34; that is, the power would increase while penetration rate ...
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... also shielded by a drill plat- form from direct solar radiation. cuttings acquired by drilling into the ice-cemented ground. It can be seen that these cuttings do not stick but rather fall as if they were dry granular media (particles). The same was observed with ice cuttings, which did not stick and also preserved large ice chunks as shown in Fig. 36 (right). This observation is of paramount importance to the Icebreaker mission, as it shows that it is possible for icy cuttings not to stick. The major factor is keeping the cuttings temperature low during the drilling operation by implementing suitable drilling protocols and by shielding them from direct sunlight once on the surface. From an ...
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... . The second generation, the Icebreaker drill, has been thoroughly tested in vacuum chambers and in the Arctic and Antarctica, and demonstrated drilling at 1-1-100-100 level; that is, 1 m in 1 hour with 100 W and 100 N WOB ). To reduce the development cost, the drill was not mass-opti- mized and weighed over 40 kg. The Icebreaker2 drill shown in Fig. 37, which is almost as powerful as Icebreaker (*400 W vs. 300 W), has a slightly lower percussive energy (2 J/ blow vs. 2.5 J/blow) but weighs only 10 kg ( Zacny et al., 2013c). The drill has been mass-optimized to reflect a ''flightlike'' design. The drill has already been deployed in Greenland and Devon Island (Canadian High Arctic) in ...
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Evidence from recent Mars landers identified the presence of perchlorates salts at 1 wt % in regolith and their widespread distribution on the Martian surface that has been hypothesized as a critical chemical hazard for putative life forms. However, the hypersaline environment may also potentially preserve life and its biomolecules over geological...
Citations
... Drilling approaches Cable tool drilling [5,6] Auger drilling [5][6][7] Rotary drilling [5,6] Diamond drilling [5,6] Directional drilling [8] Rotary Steerable Drilling Systems [9][10][11] Automated mining Longwall [12][13][14][15] intelligent machines Automated hauling [16] Charging robots [16,17] Intelligent Rock-Drilling Jumbo and DTH Drill [16] Sensors in automated mining LIBS [18][19][20] LIDAR [21][22][23][24][25] TFS [26,27] Localization systems ...
... Auger drilling utilizes a screw-like drill bit to break the formation [5]. This method does not usually include the use of mud; instead, it uses the helical path of its bit, called a flight, to force the fragments to the surface [6,7]. ...
Current advances and trends in the fields of mechanical, material, and software engineering have allowed mining technology to undergo a significant transformation. Aiming to maximize the efficiency and safety of the mining process, several enabling technologies, such as the recent advances in artificial intelligence, IoT, sensor fusion, computational modeling, and advanced robotics, are being progressively adopted in mining machine manufacturing while replacing conventional parts and approaches that used to be the norm in the rock ore extraction industry. This article aims to provide an overview of research trends and state-of-the-art technologies in face exploration and drilling operations in order to define the vision toward the realization of fully autonomous mining exploration machines of the future, capable of operating without any external infrastructure. As the trend of mining at large depths is increasing and as the re-opening of abandoned mines is gaining more interest, near-to-face mining exploration approaches for identifying new ore bodies need to undergo significant revision. This article aims to contribute to future developments in the use of fully autonomous and cooperative smaller mining exploration machines.
... The Icebreaker mission concept has been developed to test this hypothesis. Icebreaker features a lander with a rotary-percussive drill that can penetrate into and sample ice-cemented regolith and several life-detection instruments with which to search for molecular evidence of life Zacny et al., 2013), including the SOLID (Signs of Life Detector) instrument. ...
In 2019, the Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) project field-tested an autonomous rover-mounted robotic drill prototype for a 6-Sol life detection mission to Mars (Icebreaker). ARADS drilled Mars-like materials in the Atacama Desert (Chile), one of the most life-diminished regions on Earth, where mitigating contamination transfer into life-detection instruments becomes critical. Our Contamination Control Strategy and Implementation (CCSI) for the Sample Handling and Transfer System (SHTS) hardware (drill, scoop and funnels) included out-of-simulation protocol testing (out-of-sim) for hardware decontamination and verification during the 6-Sol simulation (in-sim). The most effective five-step decontamination combined safer-to-use sterilants (3%_hydrogen-peroxide-activated 5%_sodium-hypochlorite), and in situ real-time verification by adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and Signs of Life Detector (SOLID) Fluorescence Immunoassay for characterization hardware bioburden and airborne contaminants. The 20- to 40-min protocol enabled a 4-log bioburden reduction down to <0.1 fmoles ATP detection limit (funnels and drill) to 0.2-0.7 fmoles (scoop) of total ATP. The (post-cleaning) hardware background was 0.3 to 1-2 attomoles ATP/cm2 (cleanliness benchmark background values) equivalent to ca. 1-10 colony forming unit (CFU)/cm2. Further, 60-100% of the in-sim hardware background was ≤3-4 bacterial cells/cm2, the threshold limit for Class <7 aseptic operations. Across the six Sols, the flux of airborne contaminants to the drill sites was ∼5 and ∼22 amoles ATP/(cm2·day), accounting for an unexpectedly high Fluorescence Intensity (FI) signal (FI: ∼6000) against aquatic cyanobacteria, but negligible anthropogenic contribution. The SOLID immunoassay also detected microorganisms from multiple habitats across the Atacama Desert (anoxic, alkaline/acidic microenvironments in halite fields, playas, and alluvial fans) in both airborne and post-cleaning hardware background. Finally, the hardware ATP background was 40-250 times lower than the ATP in cores. Similarly, the FI peaks (FImax) against the microbial taxa and molecular biomarkers detected in the post-cleaned hardware (FI: ∼1500-1600) were 5-10 times lower than biomarkers in drilled sediments, excluding significant interference with putative biomarker found in cores. Similar protocols enable the acquisition of contamination-free materials for ultra-sensitive instruments analysis and the integrity of scientific results. Their application can augment our scientific knowledge of the distribution of cryptic life on Mars-like grounds and support life-detection robotic and human-operated missions to Mars.
... The Icebreaker mission concept has been developed to test this hypothesis. Icebreaker features a lander with a rotary-percussive drill that can penetrate into and sample ice-cemented regolith and several life-detection instruments with which to search for molecular evidence of life Zacny et al., 2013), including the SOLID (Signs of Life Detector) instrument. ...
The low organic matter content in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, together with abrupt temperature shifts and high ultraviolet radiation at its surface, makes this region one of the best terrestrial analogs of Mars and one of the best scenarios for testing instrumentation devoted to in situ planetary exploration. We have operated remotely and autonomously the SOLID-LDChip (Signs of Life Detector-Life Detector Chip), an antibody microarray-based sensor instrument, as part of a rover payload during the 2019 NASA Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) Mars drilling simulation campaign. A robotic arm collected drilled cuttings down to 80 cm depth and loaded SOLID to process and assay them with LDChip for searching for molecular biomarkers. A remote science team received and analyzed telemetry data and LDChip results. The data revealed the presence of microbial markers from Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria to be relatively more abundant in the middle layer (40-50 cm). In addition, the detection of several proteins from nitrogen metabolism indicates a pivotal role in the system. These findings were corroborated and complemented on "returned samples" to the lab by a comprehensive analysis that included DNA sequencing, metaproteomics, and a metabolic reconstruction of the sampled area. Altogether, the results describe a relatively complex microbial community with members capable of nitrogen fixation and denitrification, sulfur oxidation and reduction, or triggering oxidative stress responses, among other traits. This remote operation demonstrated the high maturity of SOLID-LDChip as a powerful tool for remote in situ life detection for future missions in the Solar System.
... However, in-situ and orbital reconnaissance of impact crater ejecta, central peaks, and bedrock exposures in canyon floors and walls could identify exhumed or exposed sulfide reservoirs for future prospecting. Moreover, future in-situ exploration missions may be able to identify subsurface sulfide deposits via drilling, excavation, or burrowing techniques (Zacny et al., 2008(Zacny et al., , 2013(Zacny et al., , 2014Zhang et al., 2019), where TIR-emission spectroscopy could be used for ore detection, grading, and reserve estimates (Rivard et al., 2001). This paper also introduces the reference temperature method (RTM), a new calibration and sample measurement methodology for acquiring absolute emissivity measurements of low-emissivity materials and materials lacking the principal Christiansen Frequency (CF). ...
Graybody materials exhibit systematically low emissivity across their spectrum. This characteristic violates the key assumption of unit emissivity at some wavenumber in the spectrum used to calibrate thermal‐infrared emission data. This assumption makes graybody materials “appear colder” than their actual physical temperature and imparts a slope in emission spectra that is non‐physical in nature, both of which affect interpretations of planetary surfaces. Pyrrhotite derived from the Stillwater Complex's J‐M Reef in Montana, USA exhibits systemic graybody behavior across its mid‐infrared spectrum and thus has a steep negative spectral slope from high to low wavenumbers when calibrated using conventional methods. A new measurement technique is introduced for deriving the absolute emissivity of graybody materials using reference samples with known Christiansen Frequencies during calibration. The reference temperature method significantly reduces the spectral slope of and provides a more accurate estimation of the absolute emissivity of graybody materials. After correcting the temperature of pyrrhotite using results from a series of reference experiments, we conclude that the emission spectrum of pyrrhotite is spectrally featureless and has a maximum emissivity of ∼0.7. If sulfide mineral deposits are exposed on Mars, they will not be identified using spectral features found in the mid‐infrared (5–40 μm). However, they could be located by identifying basaltic terrain that appears colder than their surroundings and with apparent emissivity spectra that exhibit negative spectral slopes from high to low wavenumbers and are spectrally neutral.
... Although contamination control technologies for planetary protection are established for uncrewed missions, scientists are exploring technologies for crewed missions where microbial mitigation have increased complexity levels due to risk of recontamination by human contact 1,2 . Furthermore, existing technologies approved by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) for uncrewed missions-dry heat microbial reduction (DHMR) and vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) bio decontamination, have certain drawbacks [3][4][5][6][7] . The ECSS reported that DHMR can damage heat sensitive materials while VHP can cause detrimental material alteration 6,7 . ...
This paper presents a proof-of-concept study establishing effectiveness of the Active Plasma Sterilizer (APS) for decontamination in planetary protection. The APS uses Compact Portable Plasma Reactors (CPPRs) to produce surface dielectric barrier discharge, a type of cold plasma, using ambient air to generate and distribute reactive species like ozone used for decontamination. Decontamination tests were performed with pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis) on materials (Aluminum, Polycarbonate, Kevlar and Orthofabric) relevant to space missions. Results show that the APS can achieve 4 to 5 log reductions of pathogenic bacteria on four selected materials, simultaneously at 11 points within 30 min, using power of 13.2 ± 2.22 W. Spatial decontamination data shows the APS can uniformly sterilize several areas of a contaminated surface within 30 min. Ozone penetration through Kevlar and Orthofabric layers was achieved using the CPPR with no external agent assisting penetration. Preliminary material compatibility tests with SEM analysis of the APS exposed materials showed no significant material damage. Thus, this study shows the potential of the APS as a light-weight sustainable decontamination technology for planetary protection with advantages of uniform spatial decontamination, low processing temperatures, low exposure times, material compatibility and the ability to disinfect porous surfaces.
... Although contamination control technologies for planetary protection are established for uncrewed missions, scientists are exploring technologies for crewed missions where microbial mitigation have increased complexity levels due to risk of recontamination by human contact [1,2]. Furthermore, existing technologies approved by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) for uncrewed missionsdry heat microbial reduction (DHMR) and vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) bio decontamination, have certain drawbacks [3][4][5][6][7]. The ECSS reported that DHMR can damage heat sensitive materials while VHP can cause detrimental material alteration [6,7]. ...
This paper presents a proof-of-concept study establishing effectiveness of the Active Plasma Sterilizer (APS) for sterilization in planetary protection. The APS uses Compact Portable Plasma Reactors (CPPRs) to produce surface dielectric barrier discharge, a type of cold plasma, using ambient air to generate and distribute reactive species like ozone used for decontamination. Sterilization tests were performed with pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis) on materials (Aluminum, Polycarbonate, Kevlar and Orthofabric) relevant to space missions. Results show that the APS can achieve 4 to 5 log reductions of pathogenic bacteria on four selected materials, simultaneously at 11 points within 30 minutes, using power of 13.2 +/- 2.22 W. Spatial sterilization data shows the APS can uniformly sterilize several areas of a contaminated surface within 30 minutes. Ozone penetration through Kevlar and Orthofabric layers was achieved using the CPPR with no external agent assisting penetration. Preliminary material compatibility tests with SEM analysis of the APS exposed materials showed no significant material damage. Thus, this study shows the potential of the APS as a light-weight sustainable sterilization technology for planetary protection with advantages of uniform spatial decontamination, low processing temperatures, low exposure times, material compatibility and the ability to disinfect porous surfaces.
... Although contamination control technologies for planetary protection are established for uncrewed missions, scientists are exploring technologies for crewed missions where microbial mitigation have increased complexity levels due to risk of recontamination by human contact [1,2]. Furthermore, existing technologies approved by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) for uncrewed missionsdry heat microbial reduction (DHMR) and vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) bio decontamination, have certain drawbacks [3][4][5][6][7]. The ECSS reported that DHMR can damage heat sensitive materials while VHP can cause detrimental material alteration [6,7]. ...
This paper presents a proof-of-concept study establishing effectiveness of the Active Plasma Sterilizer (APS) for sterilization in planetary protection. The APS uses Compact Portable Plasma Reactors (CPPRs) to produce surface dielectric barrier discharge, a type of cold plasma, using ambient air to generate and distribute reactive species like ozone used for decontamination. Sterilization tests were performed with pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis) on materials (Aluminum, Polycarbonate, Kevlar and Orthofabric) relevant to space missions. Results show that the APS can achieve 4 to 5 log reductions of pathogenic bacteria on four selected materials, simultaneously at 11 points within 30 minutes, using power of 13.2 +/- 2.22 W. Spatial sterilization data shows the APS can uniformly sterilize several areas of a contaminated surface within 30 minutes. Ozone penetration through Kevlar and Orthofabric layers was achieved using the CPPR with no external agent assisting penetration. Preliminary material compatibility tests with SEM analysis of the APS exposed materials showed no significant material damage. Thus, this study shows the potential of the APS as a lightweight sustainable sterilization technology for planetary protection with advantages of uniform spatial decontamination, low processing temperatures, low exposure times, material compatibility and the ability to disinfect porous surfaces.
... A single hollow auger tube is used for rotary impact drilling, and the bottom of the drill tube has a deep groove with a length of 20 cm, which can collect chips as a sample. About 40 cm 3 of samples can be obtained in one drilling, and it can be drilled to a depth of 1 m in about 1 hour (Glass et al. 2014;Zacny et al. 2011aZacny et al. , 2013b. At the same time, to get deeper samples of Mars, Honeybee Robotics has also developed the Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) drilling system (Fig. 20c). ...
Sampling soil or rocks from extraterrestrial celestial bodies is the essential step to detecting the existence of water and life in celestial bodies, it is also an important channel to obtain scientific information about the evolution of the solar system and the origin of the universe. To date, a large number of sampling devices have been designed and developed for sampling exploration of extraterrestrial celestial bodies. However, the sampling devices are versatile, and the employed working principle and sampling methods vary in different exploration missions and celestial bodies’ environments. The present work focuses on the exploration history, celestial bodies’ environment, and sampling devices of extraterrestrial celestial bodies (mainly the Moon, Mars, and small celestial bodies), and provides a systematic review. First, the exploration history and future exploration plans of extraterrestrial celestial bodies are reviewed, which outlines the features of the exploration methods and sampling devices. In the overview of the exploration history, it is found that the failure of sampling exploration is mainly due to the unknown of the celestial bodies’ environment. Therefore, the surface environment and geology of extraterrestrial celestial bodies are further summarized, and whereby the influence of the environment on sampling device design and performance in the exploration process is analyzed. Then a focused analysis of the sampling devices that have been used in previous exploration missions and recent advances has been conducted, which provides a comprehensive description of their exploration goals, operating principles, and properties. This work summarizes the current sampling methods into nine types: excavating, drilling, grinding, grabbing, projecting, penetrating, wire-line coring, ultrasonic-assisted coring, and pneumatic, for which their advantages, disadvantages, and scope of application are analyzed. Finally, the limitations and challenges faced by extraterrestrial bodies’ sampling exploration are discussed, with prospects for future sampling exploration techniques, which can provide a reference for the subsequent in-depth development of extraterrestrial celestial bodies’ sampling devices.
... No choking events were observed. To put this performance into context, a benchmark performance for planetary drill systems is the 1-1-100-100 level, that is, 1m depth achieved in 1 hour, with 100 N weight-on-bit and 100 W of power [20]. The depth, speed, and weight-on-bit metrics are approximately on-target, pro-rata, in this proof-of-concept experiment. ...
Granular materials include fuels, foods, feedstocks, and raw materials, and they are frequently created in drilling, exploration, and comminution. However, despite this ubiquity, they can be much more difficult to transport than other materials. Screw conveyors can be used, as can bailing, gas-blowing, and vibro-conveyors, but all have issues related to some combination of complexity, inclination, differential friction, and torque reaction. We propose an entirely new concept: a combination of the vibro-conveyor and the Tesla valve. This ‘pulse-elevator’ is a single piece of inert material, it can operate vertically, it does not depend upon frictional interactions, and it is effectively torqueless. This paper describes the mechanism in analytical, numerical, and experimental terms, and then illustrates two successful experimental use cases: powder uplift from a hopper, and the replacement of augering in a rock-drilling application. These cases are particularly relevant for the facilitation of ISRU and subsurface exploration in space.
... This is done by providing an alternate path for cuttings and fallback material out of the hole. This method was developed with the sole purpose of sampling research and this can be done only if the fallback material is periodically thrown out of the hole [26]. This device is ideal for capturing the fallout material for research [26]. ...
... This method was developed with the sole purpose of sampling research and this can be done only if the fallback material is periodically thrown out of the hole [26]. This device is ideal for capturing the fallout material for research [26]. ...
This paper reviews and presents a trade-off study between three new concepts to study the presence of water on the Moon. The concepts are all different concerning the method of application. The first concept confirms the presence of water on the Moon through a comparative ratio study of water formation by hydrogen bombardment at varying intensity. The second concept studied is the Moon Orbiter which confirms the presence of water by studying the spectrum of radio waves from faraway stars over the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon. The third concept is the close site study in which the presence of water is confirmed by heating the surface of the Moon with the help of a reflector array. A trade-off study is conducted between various factors for example feasibility, application location of the experiment on the surface of the Moon, cost-effectiveness, and timeline. These are the basic factors that the concepts are studied on, but the trade-off between other critical factors is also done to select and present the best as well as a feasible method to check the presence of water on the surface of the Moon. Study is conducted to set a base level for standardizations for all future space missions to be conducted in this or any other domain. The efficiency of the mission can be studied through the projections and metrics carried out in this paper.
