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Soil Preparation System (SOPSYS)

Distinguished Project_Robotics for Space Exploration

Soil sampling tool for exploring life on the Martian moon

Soil sampling tool for exploring life on the Martian moon

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Soil Preparation System (SOPSYS)

Soil Preparation System (SOPSYS) is a mission-critical space tool developed by PolyU for the Phobos-Grunt Mission, the first strategic interplanetary exploration of the Sino-Russian collaboration which led to historical attempts to land on the Martian moon Phobos, collect soil samples there and conduct in-situ analysis. This tool will also be used for the coming mission to explore Phobos.

SOPSYS is compact and lightweight for grinding and sifting Phobos rocks to sub-millimeter size for in-situ analysis, which is a crucial step in understanding the evolution of the universe. Some of the technologies developed for SOPSYS have been applied in the Camera Pointing System for the successful Chang’e-3 lunar mission of China.

Special Features and Advantages

  • Compact package of under 400 grams
  • Grind rocks under vacuum and low gravity
  • Sift grinded rock powder with low gravitational force assistance
  • Overcome low gravity by fluidisation of grinded solid powder
  • Multi-intelligent functions in the space environment to cope with various unforeseen hazards such as jamming due to excessively hard rock fragments
  • Self-cleaning and un-grinded rock fragment disposal facilities to minimize cross contamination between samples • Automatic measurement of density & volumn of samples to be examined

Applications

  • Automatically control and perform multi-intelligent functions in extreme conditions including large temperature difference, lack of gravity, vacuum environment, dustiness and cosmic radiation
  • For grinding and sifting rock samples to less than 1mm in diameter for in-situ analysis
  • With huge potential for applications in other machinery

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