SAMPLE RETURN MISSIONS HAVE PRIMARY IMPORTANCE IN FUTURE PLANETARY MISSIONS. A BASIC REQUIREMENT IS THAT SA…

Public award description

SAMPLE RETURN MISSIONS HAVE PRIMARY IMPORTANCE IN FUTURE PLANETARY MISSIONS. A BASIC REQUIREMENT IS THAT SAMPLES BE RETURNED IN PRISTINE, UNCONTAMINATED CONDITION, NECESSITATING DEVELOPMENT OF A CANISTER SYSTEM CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING CLEANLINESS AND SEAL INTEGRITY THROUGH A VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTS. SUCH A CANISTER SYSTEM, THE SEALED PLANETARY RETURN CANISTER (SPRC), IS PROPOSED. BESIDES PROVIDING A HIGH INTEGRITY SEAL, THE CANISTER ALSO INCORPORATES FEATURES THAT FOR ROBOTIC MANIPULATION AND TO ALLOW THE SAMPLE TO BE ACCESSED IN A CONTROLLED MANNER UPON RETURN TO EARTH. THE SPRC SEAL SYSTEM ADDRESSES THE TWO MOST SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS FOR PLANETARY SAMPLES A SEAL SURFACES CONTAMINATED BY THE SAMPLE AND HIGH PRESSURE DUE TO THE PHASE CHANGE OF VOLATILES. THE SPRC INCORPORATES A NOVEL SEALING SYSTEM EVOLVED FROM THE ONLY MARGINALLY SUCCESSFUL APOLLO SEAL APPROACH BUT WITH ADDED FEATURES TO ADDRESS THE DIFFICULTIES AND INCONSISTENCIES OBSERVED. THE INDIUM IS CONTAINED WITHIN A PROTECTIVE BARRIER TO PREVENT OXIDATION, AND THE KNIFE EDGE IS MECHANICALLY CLEANED DURING THE SEALING PROCESS. THE CONTAINER BODY WILL BE CONFIGURED TO ACCOMMODATE A VARIETY OF SAMPLES INCLUDING ROCK CORES, ROCK FRAGMENTS, REGOLITH, DUST, AND FROZEN SOIL. ATMOSPHERIC SAMPLES CAN ALSO BE PRESERVED. THE DESIGN IS READILY SCALABLE AND ADAPTABLE TO SPECIFIC MISSIONS.