Mullard Space Science Laboratory Application of Penetrators within
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Application of Penetrators within the Solar System Alan Smith, Rob Gowen AOGS, August, 2009 Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Penetrators § Low mass projectiles Detachable Propulsion Stage § High impact speed ~ up to 400 ms-1 Point of Separation § Very tough ~10 -50 kgee § Penetrate surface and imbed therein Payload Instruments § Undertake sciencebased measurements § Transmit results Penetrator PDS (Penetrator Delivery System)
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Typical Penetrator delivery Release from Orbiter Spin-up & Decelerate Spin-Down Reorient Penetrator Separation Penetrator & PDS surface Impact Delivery sequence courtesy SSTL Operate from below surface
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Why penetrators ? Advantages: Limitations: • • Low mass limits payload options • Impact survival limits payload option • Limited lifetime • Limited telemetry capacity Simpler architecture Low mass Low cost Explore multiple sites Natural redundancy Direct contact with sub-regolith (drill, sampling) • Protected from environment (wind, radiation) Complementary to Soft Landers for in situ studies
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Penetrator Payload Instruments § Accelerometers – Probe surface/sub-surface material (hardness/composition) § Seismometers - Probe interior (e. g. Regolith thickness, interior structure, existence/size of water reservoirs, . . . ) and seismic activity of bodies (location of ‘quake sites, intensity and frequency) § Mass Spectrometers – Determine elemental composition of surface material § Chemical sensors – Examine/identify refractory/volatiles (including water ice) with possible astrobiologic significance § Thermal sensors - Heat flow, subsurface temperatures and thermal conductivity. § Plus: Magnetometer, Neutron spectrometer, XRS, gamma ray spectrometer, alpha-proton spectrometer, sample camera, beeping transmitter, radiation monitor
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Key Enabling Technologies § Penetrator Descent Modules – De-orbit, attitude control to give a few km accuracy landing ellipse. § Penetrator Power sub-system – Lithium batteries (baseline), RTGs, fuel cells § Penetrator Communications – Penetrator – Orbiter comms, UHF, low power § Penetrator Architecture / Infrastructure – Modularity, Integration, central processor and controller, robust clock § Penetrator Thermal Control - Insulation and thermal design, RHUs. § Penetrator Sample Acquisition – Drill, impact scoop, sample handling § Descent Camera – Impact site context, requires despin and comms link § Penetrator – PDM integration – Shared resources, separation § PDM – Spacecraft release – spin up on release?
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Heritage Military Heritage in instrumented impact projectiles Numerous laboratories looking at high velocity impacts with gas guns Qineti. Q 1996: Mars 96 (Russia/Lavochkin), 2 off, 60 -80 ms-1 impact, each 65 kg incl braking system. Lost when Mars 96 failed to leave Earth orbit. 1999: Deep Space-2 (NASA/JPL), 2 off, 140 -210 ms-1 impact, each 3. 6 kg with entry shell. Failed, cause unknown. Lunar – A (Japan/JAXA), 2 off, 285 ms-1 impact, each 45 kg including de-orbit and attitude control. Programme terminated before launch after extensive development and trials Lunar Glob (Russia/Lavochkin), status unclear but may include Lunar-A penetrators 2008: UK Penetrator Pendine Trials, 3 off, 300 ms-1 impact into compacted sand, each 13 kg, demonstrated survivability of a range of key technologies in preparation for Moon. LITE
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Opportunities Moon. LITE (UK) Lunar Glob (Russia) Mars Aurora (ESA) Status UK/NASA agreed to full Phase A Kick-off postponed until April ‘ 10 Penetrators (2018) now being considered as an option in light of likely Exo. Mars rethink. Some UK Aurora money now funding key instrument developments JGO (ESA) Penetrator under consideration in ESA assessment study. ESA contract ITT for system level study JEO (NASA) UK preparing input to NASA AO
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Ganymede • • Galileo spacecraft image (NASA/JPL) Largest Moon of Jupiter Magnetosphere Water/rock surface & interior Possible astrobiology 80 km A sharp boundary divides the dark Nicholson Regio from the bright Harpagia Sulcus
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Basic parameters • mass : 0. 7 Moon • surface gravity : 0. 8 Moon • radius : 0. 9 Moon • surface temp : 40 -120 K • surface radiation : Mrads • near surface ocean? • potential for life? Europa •
Mullard Space Science Laboratory From Proctor (JHU), Patterson (APL) & Senske (JPL) (2009, Europa Lander Workshop, Moscow)
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Δ developments required for Europa… (beyond Moon. LITE) • • • Impact (hard, rough) Radiation Planetary protection Transmission Long cruise phase
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Penetrator Consortium March 2008 – UK only • Institutes: ~ 9 UK • Members: ~30 July 2009 – UK & European additions • Institutes: ~16 UK EU (Belgium, Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain) • Members: ~64 UK(50) + EU(14) Plus interest from various US institutes
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Impact Trial
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Previous Development Status – last March § Qineti. Q responsible for : Full-scale structure impact trial – Scheduled May 19 -23 2008 5 inner compartments within each – penetrator outer fabrication – Accelerometer and batteries – Running the trial penetrator § MSSL responsible for inner compartments fabrication : – inner compartments all machined. – MSSL electronics mostly fabricated & undergoing testing – Other payload providers participating. § Trial was in 6 weeks time at Pendine.
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Impact Trial - Configuration • Rocket sled • Penetrator
Mullard Space Science Laboratory • Impact trial – Payload • Radiation sensor • Batteries • Magnetometers • Mass • spectrometer • Accelerometers • Power • Interconnection • Processing • Micro-seismometers • Accelerometers, Thermometer • Batteries, Data logger • Drill assembly
Mullard Space Science Laboratory MSSL accelerometer data Peak gee forces in rear of penetrator Firing Along axis Vertical Horizo ntal 1’st 10 kgee 15 kgee 4 kgee 3’rd 11 kgee 17 kgee 11 kgee Along axis cutter Main impact Girder 15 kgee Vertical axis Along axis: • Cutter: 3 kgee • Main: 10 kgee • Girder: 1 kgee 4 kgee Horizontal axis
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Survival Table Item Firing 1 Firing 2 Firing 3 Penetrator ✓ ✓ ✓ Q-accel sys ✓ ✓ ✓ Rad sensor ✓ n/a Batteries ✓ n/a Drill components ✓ n/a Magnetometer ✓ n/a Micro seismometers components (protected) n/a ✓ ✓ Mass spectrometer n/a Minor damage MSSL accel system including data logging and internal harnessing ✓ ✓ ✓ No critical failures
Mullard Space Science Laboratory
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Real-Time Impact Video
Mullard Space Science Laboratory End http: //www. mssl. ucl. ac. uk/planetary/missions/Micro_Penetrators. php Contact: as@mssl. ucl. ac. uk
Mullard Space Science Laboratory Moon. LITE 3 § Spacecraft: Lunar polar orbit, altitude ~100 km, <40 km for penetrator release. Potential ILN comms link § Payload: 4 descent modules, each to implant a ~13 Kg penetrator at 300 m/s into lunar surface Far side 4 2 § Landing sites: Globally spaced - far side, polar regions, near side § Launch & Duration: Planned for 2014 & 1 year operations § Objectives: – network seismology – polar water and volatiles – ISRU (water/radiation/quakes) 1
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