Flying, Hopping and Perching Microbots for Extreme Environment Exploration Deployed Using CubeSats Jekan Thanga 1, Jim Bell 1 Space and Terrestrial Robotic Exploration Laboratory School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) Arizona State University

Introduction How to utilize extra volume and mass on Mars 2020 rover or Skycrane to deploy ball robots Able to perform extreme environment exploration, navigate down cliff, ridges too risky for Mars 2020 rover Enable observation, science data gathering from multiple nearby locations at once – good for tracking Aeolian processes. Act as additional “lookout” eyes for the rover, extending and complementing the rover’s capability 2

Size Comparison

Motivation Mars 2020 will not be able to navigate very rugged environments, particularly cliffs or steep slopes These slopes may expose geologic time capsules going back a billion years or more. Need to get right close to these sites to get better view Can’t be obtained by orbital imagery or rover zoom capabilities 4

Mission Objectives Primary: Obtain sub mm/pixel resolutions images or higher of cliffs walls, crater walls or ridges Secondary: Demonstrate networking between the ball robots and the Mars 2020 rover to facilitate navigation and monitoring of multiple sites at once Tertiary: Demonstrate look-out capability by having ball robots achieve 10+ m height and obtain 3-5 panoramic views 5

System Concept

Skycrane Deployment

MSL Deployment

(1) Clean Separation. Nichrome wire is melted to release trap door mechanism that drop one ball robot at a time (2) Deploy. Cold gas thruster provides 1 minute hover flight at a time or up to several km hopping distance. (4) Science. –Gets near cliff or ridge and takes close up photos. Takes flight video and panaromas at cliff edge. (5) Navigation. – Rise above rover, provide panoramic views to assist in rover navigation and decision of where to go next. Concept of Operations

Integrating the system into the small size All components technologies except for recharging using ambient CO 2 are mature – have been shown in LEO. It is the integration that is unique. System very flexible. Can work even if long duration hover performance can’t be achieved. Still, high res images possible even while hopping Regenerative hopping very promising, needs laboratory test to demo capability Option: Capture of CO 2 for cold gas propulsion in theory feasible, requires more in depth studies. Challenges and Strengths

Space flight heritage for all major components Unique integration and operation of components Power from LiSoCl 2 – Mars Pathfinder heritage. 100 Whr total energy from battery Cold gas propulsion could be recharged using Mars CO 2 Regenerative hopping allows capturing hopping kinetic using spring – gives km range Feasibility

Space flight heritage for all components except CO 2 capture. Doesn’t require hopping or precise attitude control. Cold-gas propulsion Operation at low velocities. Minimizing Risk

1) Detailed design and development of an engineering prototype Construction and testing of concept in the laboratory Testing hopping, hovering and perching performance Testing in the field 2) Representative demonstration Required Next Steps

Proposed an innovative 3U CubeSat system for deploy ball robots that can hover, hop and perch Complement and extends capabilities of the Mars 2020 rover, while remaining untethered Would take high resolution close up images of slopes and cliff not accessible by the rover. Demonstrate technology for network multiple system close by on the surface of Mars. Conclusions

Thank You

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