Mobile exploration of the subsurface is essential in achieving future astrobiology goals. Discovery of volatile organics and perhaps life on mars is unlikely without the ability to access the…

This federal contract award, valued at $257,398.00, was issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the SETI Institute, a non-profit research organization. The contract, designated NNX15AP13A, is for a Mars rover analog mission to test an integrated rover-drill system with prototype instruments for future planetary exploration missions. The goal is to address the need for automated, fail-safe drilling operations to obtain subsurface samples from Mars, which is critical for achieving the objectives of NASA's Planetary Science program. The contract is a Cooperative Agreement, with no set-aside designation. The SETI Institute, which has extensive experience in astrobiology, planetary science, and space exploration, will provide the required research, engineering, and field testing services to advance NASA's capabilities in this area. This contract award is associated with the Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) major program.

Mobile exploration of the subsurface is essential in achieving future astrobiology goals. Discovery of volatile organics and perhaps life on mars is unlikely without the ability to access the subsurface. Many of the goals of nasas planetary science program require mobile surveys sampling of dry or ICE-bearing regolith or bedrock and sample transfer to instruments. Several future planetary exploration missions call for this, including the proposed exomars rover in 2018. Lightspeed delays for mars missions (tens of minutes) are much longer than the time required (seconds) to get a drill stuck, so deep space rover drilling operations must be automated and fail-safe, or else risk anchoring the rover. Obtaining subsurface samples of regolith will require the ability to identify a suitable location, transport and emplace a drilling apparatus, and control the operation with high reliability. We propose a mars rover analog mission as a field test of an integrated rover-drill system with prototype instruments that are flight mission candidates. Depth and sample volume requirements for scientific sample acquisition impose the need for a drill capable of penetrating depths of a meter or greater. Observing the operation of the rover/drilling system in a high fidelity environment illuminate the difficult issues of low-gravity drilling into an unknown substrate, drill site sensing and selection, and drill system emplacement and stabilization.