Pneumatic Sampler (P-Sampler) for the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) Mission

Abstract

The goal of the JAXA's Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission is to explore the two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, and return samples from the surface of Phobos. Honeybee Robotics is designing and fabricating a NASA-provided Pneumatic Sampler, or P-Sampler, that would capture surface material from Phobos using a pneumatic sampling approach. The P-Sampler will be mounted along a leg of the MMX lander. The sampling head of the P-sampler utilizes two sets of sampling nozzles: one set of nozzles pointed directly at the surface to kick-up and loft material into the sampling head, and a second set of nozzles to direct the oncoming material into the sample return canister further up the lander leg. A robotic arm mounted underneath the lander will then remove the sample canister and place it inside the sample return capsule. Several iterations of the P-Sampler have been designed and tested inside a vacuum chamber with Phobos analog material. In all tests, the P-Sampler successfully acquired sample, even in an extreme scenario where the sampling head was mounted 10 cm above the surface covered with gravel.