Methods, systems, and apparatus for designing, constructing and using instrument landers for in situ exploration of small solar system bodies, such as asteroids and comets. In one aspect, a lander includes a CubeSat-style platform; instrument packaging, wherein the CubeSat-style platform and the instrument packaging are configured and arranged for an uncontrolled descent, hopping landing on a surface of a body in a solar system, where a descending trajectory for the lander is designed based on gravitational force and solar radiation, with no lander-based propulsion; and a mobility mechanism configured and arranged to self-orient the lander on the surface of the body in the solar system.

A mobile base anchoring device (MOBAD) is activated to infix a component projectile into a substrate as a method to affix the base onto the substrate.

A spacecraft including: an engine; a thrust vector control device controlling a thrust vector as a direction of a thrust acting on the spacecraft; and a main control device configured to acquire state quantities of the spacecraft in a powered descending in which the spacecraft is guided to a target point while the engine generates the thrust, and generate a throttling command by which combustion of the engine is controlled and an operation command by which the thrust vector control device is operated. The state quantities contain a first acceleration parameter and a second acceleration parameter. The first and second acceleration parameters are calculated as coefficients A and B obtained by fitting based on acceleration of the spacecraft detected at each time of past, supposing the following equation is satisfied between a reciprocal number 1/a of the acceleration a of the spacecraft and time t:

1/a=At+B(1).

Systems and methods are disclosed for mining lunar and Martian polar permafrost to extract gas propellants. The method can comprise identifying a plurality of near-polar landing sites in craters in which the surface comprises permafrost in perpetual darkness, wherein such landing sites have perpetual sunlight available at altitudes of about 100 to 200 m. A mining outpost can be established in at least one of the sites and a high altitude solar array deployed at the landing site using a lightweight mast tall enough to generate near continuous power for the outpost. Systems and apparatus are disclosed for mining the permafrost at the landing sites using radiant gas dynamic mining procedures. The systems can comprise a rover vehicle with an integrated large area dome for cryotrapping gases released from the surface and multi-wavelength radiant heating systems to provide adjustable heating as a function of depth.

Devices and methods for detection of evidence of life or ore bodies on or near the surface of extraterrestrial bodies (e.g., Mars) are described. In particular, a ground penetrating probe capable of s conducting life detection or other experiments and transmitting the data from the experiments to a satellite relay is described. Methods of use for such devices and apparatus are described.

Establishing and growth of a lunar or planetary surface base involves continuing to use landing spacecraft as docked modules of the base for habitation and work. A first spacecraft is landed at a specified surface site then doubles as first module of the base. A second (and later third and subsequent) spacecraft is landed at the site a safe distance from the existing base modules then moved over the surface into a side-by-side position to dock with selected base modules. At least some of the landing, surface transport, and operational electric power is supplied by micro-fusion using ambient cosmic rays and muons interacting with deuterium-containing particle fuel material to generate energetic reaction products.

According to some embodiments of the invention, a tensegrity robot includes a plurality of compressive members, and a plurality of tensile members connected to the compressive members to form a spatially defined structure without the compressive members forming direct load-transmitting connections with each other. Each compressive member has an axial extension with a first axial end and a second axial end and a central axial region. The tensegrity robot also includes a plurality of actuators, each attached to one of the compressive members within a corresponding central axial region thereof. The tensegrity robot also includes a plurality of controllers, each attached to one of the compressive members. Each actuator is operatively connected to a corresponding tensile member so as to selectively change a tension on the tensile member in response to commands from a controllers to thereby change a center of mass of the tensegrity robot to effect movement thereof.

A system and method of acquiring and delivering samples, such as in association with an interplanetary vehicle is provided. The system includes a gas delivery assembly having a storage tank with a compressed gas. A sampler device is provided having a hollow interior, the hollow interior having a curved and angled surface, an open end and an exit end. A plurality of nozzles are fluidly coupled between the hollow interior and the storage tank, at least one of the plurality of nozzles arranged to direct the compressed gas towards the exit end. A sample capture assembly is further provided having a container fluidly coupled to the exit end.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for controlling a moving object includes a trajectory control unit configured to control a trajectory of the moving object and a position control unit configured to control a position of the moving object. Thus, it is possible to control an angle at which the moving object enters a target point.

A sampling system includes a sampler, a projector, a camera, an arm, and a controller with the sampler, projector, and camera being located at the distal end of the arm. The projector projects a reference mark including a line with a predetermined shape onto a ground surface and the camera captures images of the projected mark. The controller is configured to obtain the size of the projected line based on the camera images. The controller adjusts the projector height position based on the line size and specifies a sampling point for inserting the sampler based on the camera images of the projected mark.