EMPANADA: Ejecta-Minimizing Protocols for Applications Needing Anchoring or Digging on Asteroids

Ejecta-minimizing operations will be important for future exploration of small asteroids and other small planetary bodies, where the escape velocities can be on the order of cm/s. Presently, there are no established safe and effective protocols to guide the interaction of space probes with asteroids/comets composed of poorly-consolidated material. Preliminary ground-based experiments have shown that flexible probes are a promising route. The use of slow, flexible probes is a potentially transformational approach which is bio-inspired by the growth of plant roots. These flight demonstrations will (1) advance fundamental knowledge of the stability of microgravity granular materials and (2) develop a test-bed for creating safe and effective interaction protocols for probe insertion and anchoring. EMPANADA will allow an exploration of a range of flexible probes in both asteroid regolith simulant and photoelastic granular materials that allow the quantification of internal forces. Problem Statement Protocols to minimize ejecta from interactions with planetary regolith in a low-gravity environment are critical for the safety and proper operation of experiments (either human or robot) on the surfaces of objects such as Near-Earth Asteroids where the surface gravity is often less than 0.001g. EMPANADA will consist of 5 interaction chambers based on the existing PRIME platform (see T0154), each of which is a unique experiment. Several modes of data collection will be utilized: contact forces via photoelasticity, force load on probe, and ejecta volume.

Video: showing EMPANADA-2D running in lunar gravity

The results of this flight will enable the design of procedures and equipment to minimize ejecta and maintain safe operations on low-gravity object and in-situ resource utilization. It will benefit future NASA currently unfunded mission to reduced gravity bodies such as the Moon, Mars or asteroids. Future Cutomers Potential end-users include planetary scientists and other granular materials scientists interested in studying granular mechanics at variable microgravity levels, as well as users interested in understanding regolith behavior for exploration or ISRU purposes.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.