Design details of the HP3 mole onboard the InSight mission

The HP³ Mole system is part of the HP³ payload on the InSight discovery class mission, which will place a geophysical lander onto the surface of Mars in 2018. DLR's HP³ - instrument (Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package) will measure Mars' interior heat flux and thermal gradient down...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta astronautica 2019-11, Vol.164, p.152-167
Main Authors: Olaf, Krömer, Marco, Scharringhausen, Fittock, Mark, Georgios, Tsakyridis, Torben, Wippermann, Lars, Witte, Matthias, Grott, Jörg, Knollenberg, Tilman, Spohn, Christian, Krause, Troy Lee, Hudson, Roy, Lichtenheldt, Jerzy, Grygorczuk, Lukasz, Wisniewski
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Complex systems
Geophysics
Heat flow
Heat flux
Heat transmission
Locomotion
Mars
Mars surface
Physical properties
Soil dynamics
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Summary:The HP³ Mole system is part of the HP³ payload on the InSight discovery class mission, which will place a geophysical lander onto the surface of Mars in 2018. DLR's HP³ - instrument (Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package) will measure Mars' interior heat flux and thermal gradient down to a depth of 5 m and thus penetrates deeper below the Martian surface than any other instrument before. Being the locomotion system of the instrument, the HP³ Mole acts as a self-impelling nail in order to accomplish this goal. The inner hammering mechanism is spring driven and periodically loaded by a cylindrical cam mechanism. The innovative impact driven locomotion principle enables a minimum in required energy and mass, but leads to complex system behaviour and dependence of the inner mechanism dynamics on the outer force conditions exerted by the soil. The scope of this paper is to provide an overview of the Mole, its role in the mission and payload, as well as to give a brief overview about its subsystems, its interfaces and working principle. •Detailed presentation of a flight design subsurface access device (“mole”).•This mole is a contribution to the recently landed InSight mission on Mars.•Presentation of the design process, i.e. testing alongside with simulation.
ISSN:0094-5765
1879-2030
DOI:10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.06.031