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Completed TRL 4 (started at 2, targeting 4)
OptiDrill is a next-generation instrumented drill that enables the spatially-correlated mineralogy and microtexture identification within rocks and regolith. The 2022 ExoMars lander will have a drill embedded with the Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies (Ma-MISS), which is a miniaturized infrared radiation (IR) spectrometer for borehole exploration; however, the main electronics will be on the lander and communication will occur through an interface based on slip ring devices (Coradini et al 2001). This accomplishment is a foundational advancement for in-situ planetary investigations but places significant constraints (increased: footprint, shielding and heating needs, and complicity) on the rover or lander. The next logical step is to develop an auger that contains the needed optical instruments. Preserving unconsolidated regolith stratigraphy in samples and examining undisturbed grains is necessary for extraplanetary surface science to understand formation processes and characterize water content. Even using current-generation regolith-oriented coring drills, unconsolidated regolith stratigraphy can be destroyed in the process of extracting the core for study after drilling and water ice quickly sublimates once brought to the surface. The quantification of water ice in the regolith of the Moon and other planetary surfaces will continue to be an area of need for better understanding of what resources are accessible. In this technology development effort, OptiDrill, addresses the critical technology gap that exists for the study of undisturbed samples on other planetary surfaces.
Enabling lower cost innovative remote sensing instrument development from concept through breadboard and demonstration
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