Bucket drum excavator controlled wirelessly by PDA
Cratos delivers samples to ROxygen, making O2 from lunar rocks
Cratos, a rover named after the Greek god of strength, can scoop soil samples
Lunar Rover Testing on Hawaii Island
Friday, November 7, 2008
Teams from the Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Carnegie Mellon University are visiting the Big Island to test robotic instruments that will be used in upcoming missions to the Moon. The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), based in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, are hosting the two-week event on the lower slopes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.
Scientists and engineers, assisted by PISCES staff and UH Hilo students will conduct a full mission simulation featuring three NASA developed rovers, including Cratos, Bucketdrum, and SCARAB (Selectively Compliant Articulated Robot Arm Rover). The tests are designed to provide participants hands-on experience with specific technical challenges to be anticipated when humans return to the moon by 2020, explore the lunar surface and set up outposts.
Also tested are hydrogen reduction reactors to extract gaseous oxygen and liquid water from lunar regolith (soil with no organic material). PILOT, an H2O plant that accepts material from the Bucketdrum rover has successfully produced water, which is a first in the field. The Cratos rover delivers material to ROxygen, which makes O2 from rocks. SCARAB, when not on TWEELs is extracting core samples using a drill developed by NORCAT, a contractor for the Canadian Space Agency (and who is providing the satellite communications techology at the test site). SCARAB will process rocks in another chemical oven called RESOLVE (Regolith & Environmental Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction). The PISCES site on Mauna Kea is the first field test of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU).
Robots have been field tested before, but they have never been tested in conjuction with stationary processing plants like what will be required for future lunar outposts. “It’s one thing to test an instrument in the laboratory. But that really doesn’t tell you how it will perform during a lunar mission,” said PISCES Research Operations Manager John Hamilton. “Our challenge is to replicate those conditions as closely as possible to ensure that the test results will be a true reflection of how these instruments will perform on the Moon.” The In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is the first field test of this technology, where scientists will be looking for ways to maximize the surrounding environment to meet their needs.
“When all is said and done, the name of the game is educating our children,” Hamilton said. “Through initiatives like this we hope to inspire them to study robotics, and sharpen their stem skills like math and science, which are the keys to obtaining good paying jobs."
Scarab continues down a shallow ravine
Scarab traversing down an inclined plane - note articulated suspension
Wheel slippage tests using a surveyor's transit
Testing included TWEEL deformation while driving over various sized rocks
Driving Scarab off the trailer and onto a new test area
Kenyan was lucky enough to take Scarab for a test drive...no scrambling!
Scarab was tested with Michelin's TWEEL in various ground conditions
Scarab above ISRU field testing site in the Haiwahini Crater near Hale Pohaku
NASA/PISCES Robot Demonstrations
Imiloa Astronomy Center, Saturday, November 15
Several hundred visitors attended the NASA/PISCES public outreach event at the Imiloa Astronomy Center, with rovers in the parking lot and exhibits in the Moanahoku Hall.
Kimberly Land of NASA handing out bookmarks, posters & spacecraft models
John Caruso of NASA Glenn talking about the Cratos rover's capabilities
BucketDrum rover and kids really love playing in a sandbox
Many NASA exhibits inside the Hokumoana Hall in the Imiloa Astronomy Center
Julie Kleinhenz, NASA Glenn talking about the RESOLVE reactor in Scarab
Carnegie Mellon University's Scarab rover was a big attraction at the event
LMA PILOT H2 reduction system on a Lunar Lander Simulator
