LUNAR DRILL STUDY PROGRAM
Abstract
An attempt was made to generate quantitative engineering information needed for technical definition of feasible devices to perform various types of remotely controlled drilling operations from a spacecraft placed on the moon. The study was intended to use existing applicable geological drilling performance data, with major efforts concentrated on problems posed by lunar environment, lunar vehicle capacity, and the very drill unit concept development. Unfortunately, the existing literature contributed negligible amounts of specific drilling data; thus, the project was reoriented into 2 major phases: experimental data gathering phase and lunar drill concept selection study. The experimental drilling phase contributed room environmental drill data for the parametric systems analysis and dimensional analysis and played a major part in the drill unit concept selection. A number of drill unit concepts and relating menchanisms were studied: the rotary-impact method was determined to be the most suitable for the lunar drill application. It is recommended that several of the areas studied be further investigated in the immediate future in order to give a more complete understanding of the problems involved.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0258618
Entities
People
- A.v. Dundzila
- J.a. Campbell
Organizations
- IIT Research Institute