Erik Mumm

Robotic Drill Systems for Planetary Exploration

The objective of the systems described in this report was to demonstrate that lowpowered drill systems could be fully autonomous in capturing subsurface samples, handing off samples to science instruments, and drilling. Two drills were designed with a logically selected suite of sensors and hardware which allowed for data to be collected both above and below the surface. Information received from these sensors was fed back to an intelligent drill control system to enable autonomy. Testing of these two drills at Mars analog sites demonstrated that fully autonomous drilling is possible with low-powered drill systems.

MARTE: Technology development and lessons learned from a Mars drilling mission simulation

29 pages, 21 figures, 2 tables.-- ISI Article Identifier: 000250768000006.-- Special issue: Mining Robotics.

Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith for planetary resource exploration

The extraction and identification of volatile resources that could be utilized by humans including water, oxygen, noble gases, and hydrocarbons on the Moon, Mars, and small planetary bodies will be critical for future long-term human exploration of these objects. Vacuum pyrolysis at elevated temperatures has been shown to be an efficient way to release volatiles trapped inside solid samples. In order to maximize the extraction of volatiles, including oxygen and noble gases from the breakdown of minerals, a pyrolysis temperature of 1400°C or higher is required, which greatly exceeds the maximum temperatures of current state-of-the-art flight pyrolysis instruments. Here we report on the recent optimization and field testing results of a high temperature pyrolysis oven and sample manipulation system coupled to a mass spectrometer instrument called Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR). VAPoR is capable of heating solid samples under vacuum to temperatures above 1300°C and determining the composition of volatiles released as a function of temperature.

Miniature Control Moment Gyroscope development

Honeybee Robotics Spacecraft Mechanisms Corporation has developed a Control Moment Gyroscope product suitable for small spacecraft. Each individual CMG exhibits a nominal angular momentum of 56 mNm-s with a peak of 86 mNm-s, and corresponding output torques of 112 mNm and 172 mNm respectively. Each unit measures 48 × 48 × 91 mm and weighs 600 grams. The control electronics are capable of driving 4 CMGs and executing a steering law to synthesize individual actuator commands from a torque triple or torque quaternion command. The industry will see an increasing role in the near future for small satellites in the 20-100 kg size range. We frame the CMG array capability by presenting a baseline application - using the Coral Reef Ecosystem Spectro-Photometric Observatory (CRESPO) mission concept (100 kg satellite) combined with requirements for the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) on the International Space Station. We show how a small CMG array is capable of the representative slew maneuvers by exceeding the necessary slew rates of 0.75 deg/s for a “Soak and Shoot” flight plan, with maximum slew rates in excess of 1.5 deg/s. This paper will discuss the demonstrated performance of the system, including environmental test results, and the baseline application.

Honeybee Robotics approach to technology development and infusion

Honeybee Robotics has benefited from multiple commercialization successes associated with the federal SBIR program1 2. In this paper, we will present a number of case studies on successful technology development and infusion, including development of 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT), 2007 NASA Mars Phoenix Lander Icy Soil Acquisition Deice (ISAD), 2011 Mars Science Laboratory Rover Sample manipulation System (SMS) and excavation systems for NASA Lunar Surface Systems and DoD. The paper addresses the commercial benefits of each of the technologies, and also describes how we identified opportunities in other federal organizations and commercial partners and what steps were required to successfully spin it off into other markets. We also describe a step-by-step approach to technology developed at Honeybee Robotics and describe the path required for infusing technology into space missions or different applications.

Moon and Mars Analog Mission Activities for Mauna Kea 2012

Rover-based 2012 Moon and Mars Analog Mission Activities (MMAMA) scientific investigations were recently completed at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Scientific investigations, scientific input, and science operations constraints were tested in the context of an existing project and protocols for the field activities designed to help NASA achieve the Vision for Space Exploration. Initial science operations were planned based on a model similar to the operations control of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). However, evolution of the operations process occurred as the analog mission progressed. We report here on the preliminary sensor data results, an applicable methodology for developing an optimum science input based on productive engineering and science trades and the science operations approach for an investigation into the valley on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea identified as “Apollo Valley.”

Drilling and Sample Transfer Mechanisms for Potential Missions to Venus

Increasingly, NASA is launching missions with in situ exploration objectives that are aimed at planets in the solar system with extreme ambient conditions including very high temperatures.

Development of Venus drill

Venera 13 was the first Venus surface mission with sampling capabilities. Its rotary drill successfully penetrated the surface and pneumatically transferred material to the science instrument within the insulated interior of the spacecraft. Follow-on missions in the Venera and Vega program repeated that feat. These missions demonstrated that it is possible for an electric motor to function at Venus conditions and that it is possible to drill Venus surface material and pneumatically transfer captured sample under Venus conditions. Unfortunately, design details for the sampling system do not exist or cannot be located. Hence for any future Venus surface missions, the sampling technology has to be designed without any prior knowledge of materials or methods. To help advance Venus sampling technology, Honeybee Robotics in partnership with NASA JPL has been developing critical components that would make Venus sampling possible. To date, three types of motors (Switched Reluctance, Brushless DC, and Stepper), a Pulsed Injection Position Sensor (PIPS) for commutation and position control, and planetary gearboxes have been fabricated and tested at Venus Temperature and/or Venus Temperature and Pressure. This paper summarizes past work and presents the current state-of-art technology related to Venus sampling drill for the New Frontiers Venus lander proposal called In-situ Surface and Atmospheric Geochemical Explorer (VISAGE).