Control of a Bucket-Wheel for Surface Mining of Asteroids and Small-Bodies

Abstract

Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) are thought to contain a wealth of resources, including water, iron, titanium, nickel, platinum and silicates. Future space missions that can exploit these resources by performing In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) gain substantial benefit in terms of range, payload capacity and mission flexibility. Compared to the Moon or Mars, the milligravity on some asteroids demands a fraction of the energy for digging and accessing hydrated regolith just below the surface. However, asteroids and small-bodies, because of their low gravity present a major challenge in landing, surface excavation and resource capture. These challenges have resulted in adoption of a "touch and go techniques", like the upcoming Osiris-rex sample-return mission. Previous asteroid excavation efforts have focused on discrete capture events (an extension of sampling technology) or whole-asteroid capture and processing. This paper analyzes the control of a bucket-wheel design for asteroid or small-body excavation. Our study focuses on system design of two counter rotating bucket-wheels that are attached to a hovering spacecraft. Regolith is excavated and heated to 1000 C to extract water. The water in turn is electrolyzed to produce hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel. We analyze control techniques to maximize traction of the bucket-wheels on the asteroid surface and minimize lift-off the surface, together with methods to dig deeper into the asteroid surface. Our studies combine analytical models, with simulation and hardware testing. For initial evaluation of material-spacecraft dynamics and mechanics, we assume lunar-like regolith for bulk density, particle size and cohesion. Our early studies point towards a promising pathway towards refinement of this technology for demonstration aboard a future space mission.