Six Degree-of-Freedom Contact Dynamics Testbed for Mars Sample Return Capture Devices
- Paper number
IAC-05-A3.P.14
- Author
Mr. Steven Sell, Payload Systems Inc., United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Joe Parrish, Payload Systems Inc., United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Edison Guerra, Payload Systems Inc., United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Cecil van der Merwe, Payload Systems Inc., United States
- Year
2005
- Abstract
Potential methods for returning soil samples from the surface of Mars have been studied extensively for more than two decades. Analysis of samples from Mars would dramatically advance the understanding of Martian climate evolution and habitability; however, Mars sample return presents many challenges requiring implementation of new complex and expensive technologies. Plans have been formulated for an initial sample return as early as the next decade. For these plans to succeed, technologies to enable this mission need to mature in the near-term. The current leading mission architecture for Mars soil sample retrieval involves Mars-orbit rendezvous with a small (3-4kg) sample container launched into Mars orbit by a previously-landed launch vehicle. One of the greatest challenges associated with this mission architecture is the need for autonomous search, acquisition, rendezvous, and docking of the sample return spacecraft with the Orbiting Sample (OS) module. Such autonomy is necessitated by the communication time delay and infrequency of good communication links between Earth and Mars. Of particular importance is the capture dynamics between the OS and the capture device. The MOSR testbed offers a true 6 degree-of-freedom environment for testing of contact dynamics between the OS and the capture system. This unique testbed permits rapid, repeatable and reliable iteration of rendezvous and capture scenarios and capture system design approaches. The MOSR testbed consists of an articulated OS launcher, an instrumented OS and capture cone for recording the contact dynamics and utilizes NASA’s C-9B Reduced Gravity research aircraft to achieve the 6-DOF microgravity environment. The OS launcher delivers the OS into the capture device at specified approach speed, angles, and spin rates, allowing systematic exploration of the design space. The MOSR testbed has its first operational flight aboard NASA C-9B in September of 2005. Preliminary results from this flight are presented in this paper.
- Abstract document