Final Report:

MICROGRAVITY TESTING OF THE ANKYRA IXODES DEVICE

Topic Area:

Anchoring Device for Regolith

Team Name:

Miners in Space

Academic Institution:

Missouri University of Science and Technology

1870 Miner Circle
Rolla, MO 65409

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Henry Pernicka

pernicka@mst.edu
(573) 341-6749

Team Members:

Chau, Jason
Davis, Jill
Junior/Aerospace/Mech Engr Junior/Aerospace Engr
Echele, Mark
Freshman/Aerospace Engr

Linck, Jim
Junior/Aerospace Engr

Martinez, Zachary
Phillips, Katlyn
Sophomore/Aerospace Engr Freshman/Aerospace Engr
Robinson, Elizabeth
Junior/Ceramic Engr
Abstract

The purpose of this report is to describe the design, fabrication, and testing of the Ankyra Ixodes
device for anchoring into regolith on an asteroid. The report will consist of hardware design,
operation methodology, and testing and analysis. Hardware design describes the devices design
process and verifies all design requirements were met. Operation methodology describes in detail
the use of the device in the field. Testing and analysis covers structural analysis of the device and
testing, as well as interpretation of results for further improvements. This report also describes
our outreach program in detail. We conclude that the Ankyra Ixodes meets the design
requirements as specified by the challenge.
Introduction
The final report is written describing the inspiration and creation of the Ankyra Ixodes from its
beginning through its testing at NBL with a section at the end describing the outreach program
Miners in Space Performed. The first section is the background which describes the problem of
gravity on an asteroid being insufficient in holding a spacecraft thus requiring an anchor and the
tick inspiration of the Ankyra Ixodes. The second section is the methods section which is further
split into two subsections: one for the design of the Ankyra Ixodes and one for the testing of the
Ankyra Ixodes. The results are recorded in the next main section with a discussion afterwards.
The final section is a description of Miner in Spaces outreach program during the construction
of the Ankyra Ixodes.
Background
Gravity alone on an asteroid is insufficient for keeping a spacecraft on its surface. Therefore, any
mission to land on the surface of an asteroid will require a mechanism of ensuring a spacecraft
does not drift due to outside forces applied to the spacecraft, such as light collisions with the
asteroid. Specifically, NASAs Asteroid Redirect Mission would benefit from such an anchoring
mechanism being designed, deployed, and tested. The Ankyra Ixodes device, as proposed by the
Missouri S&T Miners in Space research team, provides a sufficient anchoring force for such an
asteroid mission, as described by the challenge NASA has proposed. This multi-stage anchoring
device is inspired by the nature in which a tick anchors itself to flesh. The dual-phase operation
of both types of augers ensures the device remains secured in the regolith. Testing in the Neutral
Buoyancy Lab has validated our design, with special considerations regarding the tether.
Methods
Design
During our initial testing, we decided to use an auger as the basis of our approach. This is due to
the fact augers have been around for a long time and are commonly used as ground anchoring
devices in the real world. Additionally, augers are simple devices requiring few moving parts to
operate, so it is very safe and unlikely to malfunction given there are no small gears. A device
requiring a chemical reaction or electrical components would have been infeasible, as we are
testing in an aqueous environment. While in the design process, we kept in mind the following
goals:

1. The device shall be able to anchor in regolith in a bin measuring 1 in diameter and 2
deep. The bin will contain a mixture of unconsolidated sand and rock fragments less than
in diameter.
2. The device shall remain anchored in the regolith without the use of an operator.
3. The device shall remain anchored in the regolith when pulled on by a 10lb force.
4. Mass and volume of the device should be minimized
5. Depth at which the device goes should be minimized
6. The device can be operated manually or under power. Powered operations shall be
driven pneumatically.
7. The device may have multiple parts that can attach and detach.
8. The device all parts shall fit within a 10 x 10 x 18 volume.
9. The device shall weigh less than 20lb
10. The device shall have a tether attachment point 1 in diameter
11. The device shall be compatible with a chlorine water environment.
During our design iterations, we tested multiple store-bought augers and configurations. During
this testing, we found that if the screw blades were too thin, the auger would not be able to hold
much weight. Additionally, if the screw pitch was too low, the auger would not allow sufficient
sand settlement, and if it was too high there would not be enough pulling force. We also tested an
umbrella-like device designed to open up in sand and catch sand as it was pulled, but this proved
to be ineffective. Our final design, using what we observed during testing, is a three-stage auger
that weighed 2.74 lbs.
The final anchoring device was inspired by the technique used by ticks to anchor into flesh. First,
they use an initial set of teeth, the hypostome, to anchor their body to the flesh. Once this initial
anchor is set, the chelicerae are pulled beneath the flesh to provide the final anchoring force. The
team uses a similar strategy, with a system of three augers connected to a platform. The two
smaller augers are connected to the platform and guided into place using guide tracks. By turning
a handle attached to the top of the smaller auger subassembly, the auger turns and slides down
into the sand. The astronaut will alternate turning each of these handles about a half turn. Next,
the large auger is put in place and turned slowly into the sand through its guide rail on the
platform. The augers need to be unscrewed all the way before operation begins as shown in
Figure 1.

Figure 1
Next, the astronaut alternates turning in the initial outer augers into the sand until they are fully
inserted as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2
The center auger will then be turned into place until it is fully deployed as shown in Figure 3.
Finally the large temporary handle will be removed and the tether will be attached at the
attachment point.
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Figure 3
NBL Operation
For the first test, the diver was instructed first to place the plate on the sand when he reached the
station in the NBL pool. Next, the diver was instructed to insert both auxiliary screws into the
side slots of the plate. Each screw was twisted into place individually. After sand cleared, the
diver was instructed to put the main screw in the plate and begin twisting it. During operation,
the plate became unstable and began to shift. The diver was then instructed to finish screwing in
the main screw, and then finish with the auxiliary screws once the main screw was in place.
For the second test, the diver was instructed to insert only the main screw into an undisturbed
area of the bucket. The diver was able to successfully and fully insert the screw without any
issues.
Results
The team presented a safety review in order to ensure the device was safe enough to allow
testing in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. The device was determined to be safe; however, it did not
have sufficient tethering points. The addition of tether points came in the form of zip ties around
the parts the needed them. This was deemed to be sufficient for the safety review.
The Ankyra Ixodes was deployed in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab with a team member instructing a
professional diver. The first test was conducted in the middle of the testing bed, as described in
the Methods section. After the device was fully deployed it, a 14.5 pound force was required to
pull the device out. For the second test, the main anchor was taken out and deployed in an area in
the corner of the testing bed. The primary auger alone required a 22 pound force to pull the
device. During the deployment, the diver had some issues with tether management. This was
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primarily because all the tether points moved or rotated during operation. Overall, the test was a
success. The divers noted that outside of tethering issues; the device was easy to use, had
sufficient performance, and could easily be modularized for astronaut use.
Discussion
The bucket was larger than the bucket we had initially planned for. This meant that there was
more sand on the surface while testing, which likely translated to a larger sand cloud produced to
obstruct the divers vision. This likely had little impact on the test, and in a real microgravity
environment be the reality of attempting to anchor in regolith.
The second test with just the primary auger held 22 lbs, whereas the first test with the entire
setup managed only 14.5 lbs. We hypothesize one or more of the following is the cause of this:
There was a team to test previous to us in the same bucket; this may have disturbed the
sand.
While deploying the device, the diver noted that the side augers were slipping, which
may have disturbed the sand.
The primary auger was able to drill deeper alone, allowing it to hold more weight.
The divers ran into some tether management issues with the zip ties we used as a hotfix on
testing day. In the real world, something such as a planetary gear to attach a tether to would
allow divers better control. This is just one example of a solution.
The experiment itself isnt fully representative of what one would expect from a true
microgravity environment. In space, sand wouldnt settle and any attempt to drill into regolith
would likely cause large dust clouds. Its likely a solid surface would be needed for drilling.
Astronauts would also likely have a much harder time setting up the anchor, as it is unlikely they
will have a secure connection to the asteroid to begin with. Electromechanical and chemical
approaches to tethering might also be more applicable in a real microgravity environment.
Outreach
The outreach goals for Miners in Space were to inspire careers in the STEM fields: Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, as stated in the proposal. The outreach conducted by
the Miners in Space team succeeded in reaching as many students as possible using the 5E
(Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate) instructional model. The outreach performed
was conducted both inside and outside the local area in Missouri to promote STEM fields and
careers to students.
The activities performed were interviews and presentations of research and projects the Miners
in Space design team has accomplished, in addition to the Soyuz Egg Drop, shown in Figure 4,
and Bridge Building Activity, shown in Figure 5. The Soyuz Egg Drop is a simulation of
building a space capsule with limited material to protect an egg. Students must think and choose
the correct material and design to provide a safe landing. The bridge building activity also
requires in depth student thought as the goal is to build a bridge out of the given material that is
both light and able to hold a large load.
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Figure 4 Capsules created by St James students

Figure 5 Bridge created by Richland High students

Miners in Space has hosted a few events on campus and invited the general public to visit
providing an opportunity to promote the STEM fields. The Tour of the Planets was an event
Miners in Space participated in which consists of stations for each planet and an activity to go
along with it designed for younger children ages 4-10 during S&Ts Space Week. A passport was
provided to record completion of each event at every station which related to the planet it
represented in some way. The Si Se Puede Design Team and Information and Question Session
was conducted by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and provided high school
students in Rolla a chance to come and ask questions about Miners in Space and our involvement
with NASA.
Miners in Space also had a large outreach program in its home state of Missouri, reaching several
cities within Missouri and interacting with a large number of students. Miners in Space attended
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the Republic Tiger Teens event in Republic Missouri at Republic High School and conducted the
Soyuz Egg Drop event, especially notable as this was the first time Miners in Space had an
outreach event in Republic. The results were interest from the attendees and provided the basis of
possible future outreach opportunities. In addition, Miners in Space conducted two events at
Richland High School in Richland, MO and St. James High School in St. James, MO with an
extra visit in St. James for Duchesne High School. The Bridge Building Challenge was chosen
for Richland High School and was a success resulting in an invite for a second visit. Duchesne
High School was presented with Miners in Spaces research as well as additional assistance with
their Science Olympiad. The Soyuz Egg Drop Event was hosted twice at St. James High School
for different classes with a noted interest in the harsh conditions of space and inquiries into the
International Space Station.
The outreach for Miners in Space reached the Batesville Boys and Girls Club in Batesville, MS
and Pleasant Plains High School in Pleasant Plains, IL demonstrating Miners in Spaces breadth
of outreach experience. The bridge construction activity was conducted at Pleasant Plains High
School while the Vomit Comet video was shown to the outreach participants at the Boys and
Girls Club and the Soyuz Egg Drop activity was completed. The Pleasant Plains High School
event this year was the third year in a row Miners in Space has conducted an outreach program
there.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we successfully deployed the Ankyra Ixodes device in the NASA NBL and
exceeded the design requirements, with a team picture shown in Figure 6. The benefits our
device had include high modularity, low mechanical complexity, and lightweight design. The
drawbacks of the device, as designed, are mostly astronaut comfort points, which are easily
addressable.

Figure 6 MIS team at the NBL with the Ankyra Ixodes device
We note that the NBL testing is not a perfect simulation of a microgravity environment, and a
success in our testing may not be successful in the field. For future iterations of our device, we
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plan on refining our design to better account for the modularity and astronaut comfort as
discussed. This includes, but is not limited to, improved tethering, multiple augers, and multiple
devices. We believe our solution is useful to NASA in allowing astronauts to navigate around an
asteroid in the same manner rock climbers navigate around a rock wall.