A Novel Penetration System for in situ Astrobiological Studies

Abstract

Due to ultraviolet flux in the surface layers of most solar bodies, future astrobiological research is increasingly seeking to conduct subsurface penetration and drilling to detect chemical signature for extant or extinct life. To address this issue, we present a micro-penetrator concept (mass < 10 kg) that is suited for extraterrestrial planetary deployment and in situ investigation of chemical and physical properties. The instrumentation in this concept is a bio-inspired drill to access material beneath sterile surface layer for biomarker detection. The proposed drill represents a novel concept of two-valve-reciprocating motion, inspired by the working mechanism of wood wasp ovipositors. It is lightweight (0.5 kg), driven at low power (3 W), and able to drill deep (1-2 m). Tests have shown that the reciprocating drill is feasible and has potential of improving drill efficiency without using any external force. The overall penetration system provides a small, light and energy efficient solution to in situ astrobiological studies, which is crucial for space engineering. Such a micro-penetrator can be used for exploration of terrestrial-type planets or other small bodies of the solar system with the minimum of modifications.

Wood Wasp Inspired Planetary and Earth Drill

“…Apart from the general potential of biomimetic systems to be low-mass and efficient, the perspective of being able to generate the drilling forces between two valves with "no net external force required" (the receding valve generating the force required for the advancing valve) was of premium interest Gao et al (2005). Indeed, as explained previously, space systems are constrained in mass and must operate in low gravity environments, thus the total over head force available for a drilling system is low.…”

“…Indeed, as explained previously, space systems are constrained in mass and must operate in low gravity environments, thus the total over head force available for a drilling system is low. Classical rotary drilling techniques need high over-head forces and thus have limited performance in space applications Gao et al (2005). To asses the feasibility of the wood-wasp inspired drill a first experimental setup was built to measure the necessary cutting forces.…”

“…Higher rake angles were shown to produce higher cutting forces. It was also shown that after increasing with cutting speed, the cutting force passes through a maximum and then decreases whatever the rack angle Gao et al (2005). Further on a simple DRD mechanism with metal drill bits was built.…”

Bioinspired Drill for Planetary Sampling: Literature Survey, Conceptual Design, and Feasibility Study

“…Such a biological system provides a good miniaturized model for a space system design that is similarly constrained by mass, volume, and power. This paper represents a continuation and extension of our previous work in [2,3].…”

How to use the ovipositor drilling mechanism of hymenoptera for developing a surgical instrument in biomimetic design

“…The only other two applications of a biologically inspired penetration system are used for astrobiological studies and percutaneous interventions. Both are using a two-part drill bit [3,4]. To analyze the motion of the three drill tips, the movement was converted into a curve graph.…”