Lunar Exploration with Penetrators A Smith R Gowen

Lunar Exploration with Penetrators A. Smith, R. Gowen, A. Coates – MSSL/UCL I. Crawford – Birkbeck/UCL P. Church, R. Scott - Qinetiq A. Ellery, Yang Gao – Surrey Space Centre T. Pike – Imperial College (UK) 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Lunar Exploration with high velocity micro-Penetrators A. Smith, R. Gowen, A. Coates – MSSL/UCL I. Crawford – Birkbeck/UCL P. Church, R. Scott - Qinetiq A. Ellery, Yang Geo – Surrey Space Centre T. Pike – Imperial College (UK) 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Lunar Exploration with Penetrators • • Introduction/History Advantages Challenges Meeting the Challenges 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

What are kinetic micro-penetrators ? • • Very high impact speed ~ 200 -700 m/s Very tough ~ 100, 000 g Penetrate (lunar) surface ~ few metres Very low mass ~2 -5 Kg 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

‘Classic’ Design: forebody aftbody penetrator 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Complete System Architecture Orbiter • Microprobe platform • Microprobe ejection system • Microprobe communications Probe • De-orbiter/attitude control system • Microprobe(s) few kg each 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Planetary Penetrators History DS 2 (Mars) NASA 1999 ? Mars 96 (Russia) Failed to leave Earth orbit Japanese Lunar-A much delayed Several paper studies 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Planetary Penetrators Technical Demonstrator Propose Engineering Monitoring of microprobe system at all mission Phases : - post launch survival - never done before - cruise phase - never done before - pre-ejection - never done before - entry phase - never done before - post landing survival - never done before - continuous surface operations - never done before • The only previous technical demonstrator penetrator mission was NASA Deep Space-2 which had no operational confirmation at all from launch to landing. 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Penetrators - Advantages • Suitable for widely spaced multi-point seismic measurements. • Can provide information from regions soft landers cannot go. • Very low mass (few Kg) -> low launch cost -> allow multiple probes -> provide high redundancy • Regolith naturally provides relatively soft impact. • Moon is nearby -> limited radiation exposure; possibility of direct line of sight communications; solar power. 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Penetrator Science • Lunar Seismology Presence and size of lunar core, crustal & basal fill thickness; deep structure of lunar mantle; Origin & location of shallow moonquakes. (profound understanding of Moon’s residual magnetism; origin of Moon; evolution of planetary magnetic fields) • Lunar Thermal Gradients Inhomogeneity of crustal heat producing elements (K, Th). (understanding of Moon’s early history). • Lunar Water Sensing Presence, extent and concentration of water. (Lunar evolution, future lunar resource. ) • Geochemical Analysis Provide ground truth for remote sensing XFA and multi-spectral imaging. (Co-detection of organics with water might be interesting) 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Penetrators - Challenges • Impact Survival - platform / instruments • Effective operating configuration - Impact angle, penetration depth, forebody/aftbody • Lifetime - Power / thermal • Low mass - micro/nano technology • Communications - Fore and aft body. To orbiter. • Deceleration/attitude control - Requires mass 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Penetrators Meeting the Challenges Qineti. Q – Defence and space systems company. Impact survival; electronics; comms; space platform systems. Program for ground demonstration of impact survival of platform and scientific instruments. 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Penetrators Meeting the Challenges IC – (Imperial College) University with long space experience. Micro seismometers (U. S. heritage) Program to develop to withstand high-g ~ 100, 000. Microseismometer for Exo. Mars fabricated from one piece of single-crystal silicon 10 mm 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Penetrators Meeting the Challenges SSC – Surrey Space Science Centre (& SSTL). Construct and operate small satellites and instruments. Micro-drill, general micro instruments; platform electronics. Wood wasp ovipositor 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Penetrators Meeting the Challenges Southampton - optical fibres Potential for detection of water and chemicals. MSSL/UCL – University College London with long experience of developing variety of scientific instruments for major space missions and science analysis. Cameras, water detection. Onboard data processing. Systems engineering & project management. Space and lunar science. e. g. …Giotto (Halleys’ comet), Mars’ 96, Beagle-2, Soho, Cluster, Doublestar, XMM, Cassini, Swift (UVOT), Venus Express, … 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Conclusions • We are looking to develop kinetic penetrators for airless planetary bodies through conceptual design -> ground demonstration -> technical demonstrator missions -> science missions. • Penetrators are now a priority for UK planetary future directions. • We are happy to gain further partners, particularly in areas of expertize not already covered. • We are looking for mission opportunities…. for exciting engineering and science. 8’th ILEWG Conference, Beijing, July 23 -27, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.