Development of Kinetic Penetrators For Exploration of Airless Solar System Bodies

2’nd International Penetrator Workshop, Graz, Sep 25-28, 2006 MSSL/UCL UK.

Development of Kinetic Penetrators Development of Kinetic Penetrators For Exploration of Airless Solar For Exploration of Airless Solar

System BodiesSystem Bodies

A. Smith, R. Gowen, A. Coates, etc – MSSL/UCL I. Crawford – Birkbeck College London

P. Church, R. Scott - Qinetiq A. Ellery, Y. Gao – Surrey Space Centre/SSTL

T. Pike – Imperial CollegeA. Ball, Open University

J. Flanagan, Southampton University(UK)


ContentsContents

• Introduction

• Development Program

• Lunar Mission

• Summary


Mullard Space Science LaboratoryMullard Space Science Laboratory

• Part of University College London• 140 Staff• In-house mechanical and electrical

engineering design, manufacture and test• Provided hardware or calibration facilities for 17

instruments on 12 spacecraft currently operating• Provided stereo cameras for Beagle-2• Leading PanCam development for EXOMARS

Hinode Launch22-9-06


What are airless kinetic What are airless kinetic micro-penetrators ?micro-penetrators ?

• Cannot use aero-braking • High impact speed ~ >200 m/s• Very tough ~>10,000gee• Penetrate surface ~ few metres• Very low mass ~2-5Kg (<12Kg)


Mars96 (Russia) failed to leave Earth orbit

DS2 (Mars) NASA 1999 ?

Planetary Penetrators - Planetary Penetrators - History

Japanese Lunar-Amuch delayed

Many paper studies and ground trials

No survivable high velocity impacting probe has been successfully landed on any extraterrestrial body

TRL 6


Program RationaleProgram Rationale

• Solar system exploration ready for a change of focus from orbital to landed missions. Current great worldwide interest.

• Micro-penetrators are capable of exploring multiple regions of planetary surfaces, including areas not suitable for soft landers.

• Micro and other technologies (e.g. mems) rapidly advancing, to allow very low mass microprobes (few Kg)-> multiple probes ->high redundancy -> low launch cost.

• Potential for innovation.

GOAL: To enable key science inexpensively from vanguard missions to a variety of solar system bodies.


ConsortiumConsortium• MSSL

– Consortium lead, payload technologies, payload system design• Birkbeck College London

– Science• Imperial College London

– Seismometers• Open University

– Science and instrumentation• QinetiQ

– Impact technologies, delivery systems technologies• Southampton University

– Optical Fibres• Surrey Space Science Centre and SSTL

– Platform technologies, delivery system technologies


Proposed Development ProgramProposed Development Program

1. Design generic penetrator system- Investment to:

Enable fast response to opportunities (ready to respond) Enable cheaper future missions (tailoring only)

2. Ground-based demonstration- To build confidence in the technology

3. Lunar mission design- Identify strawman accommodation and baseline environmental

and performance requirements for payload elements

4. Follow-up mission opportunities- Science + technology demonstration


Development ProcessDevelopment Process

Define Mission Requirements

Design

ModelTest

Build and Test Penetrator system

PenetratorPayloadelements

Design

ModelTest

Environmental Requirements

Science Requirements

Mission ConceptOther Mission

Elements


Key Generic Penetrator Design Key Generic Penetrator Design Subsystem ConsiderationsSubsystem Considerations

1. Spacecraft

Support

Probe system accommodation

Probe system ejection

Communications

2. Probe

System

de-orbiting, attitude control, impact survival, power, communications, data management,

payload accommodation, environment (e.g. shock, thermal, electrostatics, radiation)

3. Payload e.g. seismic, thermal, chemistry, radiation, magnetism

MEMS-based; fibre optics; drill; camera …


Critical AreasCritical AreasItem Comments

Funding Without funding cannot develop

Mission Require ESA or bilateral flight opportunity

Cost Need to keep development and flight costs down

Technical Readiness May need probe ready to fly at short notice

Mass Minimise to maximise opportunities (few Kg for total system)

Impact Survival All components, from ~>10,000 gee

Impact Test Facility Combined modelling and impact testing

PenetrationCorrect simulation. Ability to cope with variations.

Engineering margin.

Lifetime Power 1year seismic network

Communications Effect of overlying material, power

Science Instruments Technical Readiness for new technology instruments


Lunar Mission StudyLunar Mission StudyIn support of a recent ‘MoonLite’ PPARC UK study undertaken by SSTL for a Lunar mission

• Understanding the Moon is crucial to our understanding of the origin of the Earth-Moon system• Moon is Nearby

(Provides Ideal science mission/technical demonstration because of short cruise phase c.f. years for most planetary bodies, and regular launch windows)

• Regolith naturally provides ‘relatively’ soft impact c.f. ice.• Relatively benign environment

(sub-regolith limited radiation exposure & approximately constant

moderate temperature; possibility of direct line of sight communications;

solar power)


Lunar Penetrator ScienceLunar Penetrator Science• Lunar Seismology

Presence and size of lunar core, crustal & basal fill thickness; deepstructure of lunar mantle; Origin & location of shallow moonquakes.(understanding of Moon’s residual magnetism; origin ofEarth-Moon system; evolution of planetary magnetic fields)

• Lunar Thermal GradientsInhomogeneity of crustal heat producing elements (U,K,Th). (understanding of Moon’s early history).

• Lunar Water SensingPresence, extent, concentration and origin of water and other

volatiles.(Lunar evolution, future lunar resource, implications to astrobiology)

• Geochemical AnalysisProvide ground truth for remote sensing XFA and multi-spectralimaging.

• Far Side Differences in regolith, lunar interior structure, composition.


Lunar Mission DefinitionLunar Mission Definition• 4 penetrators (13Kg+20Kg propulsion each max)• Science (seismic network, heat-flow, polar volatiles, far side landing, camera) • Surface mission to last 1 year (several years desirable) for seismic network.

Other science do not require so long (heat flow perhaps a few lunar cycles) and volatiles much less.

• Landing sites to be widely spaced across Lunar surface with at least one site on far side, and at polar region (probably South Pole Aiken basin) for water/volatiles detection.

• Orbiter (provide power, pre-ejection health status, and post ejection flight and landed communications)

• Technology to be ready for near term launch Descent Phase

• Deploy from orbit, using a breaking solid rocket motor to kill orbital velocity.(target impact velocity ~200m/s)

• Attitude control to achieve penetration closely perpendicular into Lunar regolith to depth of a few metres.

• Camera to be used for descent to characterize landing site• Telemetry to be transmitted continuously during descent for health status

(technology demonstration)• Impact accelerometer (to determine penetration depth)


Lunar Mission DefinitionLunar Mission Definition

Landed Phase• Single body penetrator (no fore-aft body split) for simplicity & risk avoidance, to penetrate to ~1 to few metres into regolith.• All 4 penetrators same platform, different payloads (tbc).• Powered by batteries (1 year lifetime) for seismic network. • Receiver not powered continuously to save power, possibly by carrier detect and with small command capability, or by timer.

Scientific Instruments• Micro-seismometer (3-axis)• Water and Volatiles detector (maybe more than one instrument) (contenders fibre optics, mems mass spectrometer)• Heat flow detector (not easy)• Tilt Meter (calibrate seismometer and heat flow detector)• Possible Drill (if within mass budget), magnetometer, radiation monitor, microscope?


SINGLE-PIECE PENETRATOR

TITANIUM NOSE SECTION

TUNGSTEN TIP

6 CALIBRE RADIUS HEAD TO GIVE NOSE FOR MAX. PENETRATION

DETACHABLE PROPULSION STAGE

TITANIUM CASING

POSSIBLE SINGLE-PIECE PENETRATOR

•PRE-IMPACT CAMERA

•IMPACT ACCELEROMETER

•SEISMOMETER

•THERMOMETERS (HEAT FLOW)

•WATER/VOLATILES DETECTOR

•UHF TRANSMITTER AND AERIAL

•BATTERIES

•DC CONVERTERS

•CONTROL & DATA HANDLING

•OTHER (micro-drill, magnetometer, rad detector)

ESTIMATED PENETRATOR SIZE

•LENGTH:- 480mm to 600mm (8:1 to 10:1 RATIO)

•DIAMETER:- 60mm

•ESTIMATED MASS 6-8kg

POINT OF SEPARATION

Preliminary Penetrator ConceptPreliminary Penetrator Concept


ConclusionsConclusions• We have formed a consortium to develop kinetic penetrators for airless planetary bodies through conceptual design -> ground demonstration -> technical demonstrator missions -> science missions.

• Penetrators are now established as a priority for UK planetary future directions, and we are strongly supporting penetrators for a Lunar mission initiative.

• We are happy to gain further partners.

• We are looking for mission opportunities…. for exciting engineering and science.


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Development of Kinetic Penetrators For Exploration of Airless Solar System Bodies

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