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Planetary and Space Simulator:Applications |
Small Sample Acquisition & Distribution Tool StudyIn the context of ESA's cornerstone space mission ROSETTA to a comet, the technology for sampling the comentary material is investigated in two successive studies by an international team headed by Tecnospazio from Milano, Italy.The first study, completed in 1994, aimed at the return of cometary samples to Earth, while the running study shall result in sampling technologies for comentary, Lunar or even Martian application, but only for an "in situ"-inspection of the materials. The main results of the first Sample Acquisition System (SAS) study (s.left figure), testing of different sampling tools and a harpoon in cometary analogous material (CAM) and in tuffstone, will be reported. The CAM was produced in the same way, developed in the "comet simulation program" KOSI, performed from 1987-1993 in a Space Simulator of DLR Cologne. The increasing hardness with decreasing temperatures downto -196o (77 K, liquid nitrogen, LN2-cooling) was investigated for CAM samples and for tuffstone blocks. In the running study among others, a sampling and sample distribution system also usable for the cometary lander RoLand will be investigated. In addtition to that, the status of modifying a "mobile penetrator" (mole), operational under earth conditions, for cometary applications, by the Russian team, is reported. This mole can possibly reach any depth, limited only by hard obstacles and the length of the power and communication cable. The general problem will be to do the first "steps" under reduced gravity. This investigations are also part of the running study. |
Rovers for the exploration of planetary surfaces... (s.right figure) ... (... to be continued...) |