Penetrators for Europa

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Penetrators for Europa
Professor Andrew Coates on behalf of UK
Penetrator Consortium
MSSL/UCL UK
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Europa Penetrators

• Low mass projectiles 4KgPDS
• High impact speed 200-500 m/s
• Very tough 10-50kgee
• Penetrate surface 0.5-few metres
• Perform science from below surface

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Penetrator Payload/Science

• A nominal 2kg payload
• Seismometers - interior structure (existence/size
  of subterrannean ocean) and seismic activity
• Chemical sensors subsurface refactory/volatile
  (organic/ astrobiologic (e.g. sulphur mass spec)
  material arising from interior
• Mineralogy/astrobiology camera subsurface
  mineralogy and possible astrobiological
  material
• Accelerometers hardness/layering/
  compositionof subsurface material. (future
  landing site assessment)
• Thermal sensors - subsurface temperatures
• other instruments beeping transmitter,
  magnetometer, radiation sensors, etc
• descent camera (surface morphology, landing site
  location)

Micro-seismometer Imperial College
Ion trap spectrometer Open University
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Science/Technology Requirements

• Target
• Region of upwelled interior material (e.g.
  sulphur).
• 2 penetrators would allow improved seismic
  results and natural redundancy.
• Lifetime
• Only minutes/hours required for camera,
  accelerometer, chemistry, thermal
  mineralogy/astrobiologic measurements.
• An orbital period (few days) for seismic
  measurements. (requires RHU)
• Spacecraft support
• 7-9 years cruise phase, health reporting

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Preliminary Estimated Mass
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Heritage

• Lunar-A and DS2 space qualified.
• Military have been successfully firing
  instrumented projectiles for many years to
  comparable levels of gee forces into concrete and
  steel.
• 40,000gee qualified electronics exist (and
  re-used).
• Currently developing similar penetrators for
  MoonLITE.
• Payload heritage
• Accelerometers, thermometers, sample drill,
  geophone fully space qualified.
• Seismometers (ExoMars) chemical sensors
  (Rosetta) heritage but require impact
  ruggedizing.
• Mineralogy camera new but simple.

When asked to describe the condition of a probe
that had impacted 2m of concrete at 300 m/s a UK
expert described the device as a bit scratched!
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Current Development Status
Full-scale trial Scheduled May 19-23 2008 Fire
3 penetrators at 300m/s impact velocity
0.56m
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Impact trial 19-23 May08
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Impact trial 19-23 May08
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Impact trial 19-23 May08
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Impact trial 19-23 May08
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Impact trial 19-23 May08
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Impact Trial Objectives

• Demonstrate survivability of penetrator shell,
  accelerometers and power system.
• Determine internal acceleration environmentat
  different positions within penetrator.
• Extend predictive modelling to new impact and
  penetrator materials.
• Assess impact on penetrator subsystems and
  instruments.
• Assess alternative packing methods.
• Assess interconnect philosophy.

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Imminent Next Steps

• MoonLITE bids in preparation for -
• 2 yr development to bring ruggedization of
  penetrator subsystems and instruments up to TRL
  5.
• Phase-A study for mission, currently in
  discussion with BNSC and NASA.
• Include study of cold environment impact into
  harder icy material (lunar poles)

5 inner compartments for full scale penetrator
trial

• 3 penetrator firings
• Normal incidence into dry sand at 300m/s

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Trial Hardware - Status
Inners Stack
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Penetrators Conclusions

• No great history of failure - only 1 planetary
  delivery to date
• Significant TRL with previous space qualified
  technology
• A useful tool in the toolbox of planetary
  exploration
• Capable of addressing fundamental astrobiology
  signatures and habitability
• Provide ground truth new information not
  possible from orbit
• Provide useful landing information for future
  missions.

• Penetrator website
• http//www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/planetary/missions/Micro
  _Penetrators.php
• email rag_at_mssl.ucl.ac.uk

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