Venus High Temperature Motor and Rotary Percussive Drill for Pneumatic Acquisition of Samples

Abstract

Venus surface missions have been limited to the Venera and Vega programs. Venera 13 and 14, as well as Vega 1 and 2, used a rotary drill for penetrating 3 cm into Venus surface and pneumatic transfer of samples for analysis by a x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF). Following up on these successful missions, there is a need for landing in different locations on Venus surface and analyzing samples from deeper depths. To advance sampling technology in extreme conditions, Honeybee Robotics, in partnership with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has been developing high temperature motors and drills. In addition, preliminary material testing for long duration missions has been conducted in partnership with NASA Glenn Research Center. The Venus sampling technology work started almost two decades ago and has recently culminated with an end-to-end demonstration of drilling and sample delivery under Venus-like conditions of high Temperature (465 °C) high pressure (92 bar) and CO2 atmosphere. This paper provides details related to the development of high temperature motors and a rotary-percussive drill for the purpose of acquiring samples from up to 5 cm depth. This technology would be directly infused into a New Frontiers class mission Venus In-Situ Explorer (VISE).