Prototype ExoMars Drill with positioning mechanism
Date: 09 July 2010
Copyright: SELEX Galileo
This photograph, which shows the Drill integrated with the two-degrees-of-freedom positioning mechanism, was taken during a series of drilling and sampling tests carried out by Thales Alenia Space – Italia, in cooperation with SELEX Galileo, in the period November 2009 to March 2010. The objective of this test campaign was to verify the drilling and sampling performance of the ExoMars Drill prototype.
The purpose of the Drill positioning mechanism, which consists of a translation joint and a rotation joint, is to deploy the Drill from its position during launch, cruise and all Rover travel phases, to the drilling position. The positioning mechanism is also utilised to move the Drill from the drilling position to the position in which the Drill discharges the collected sample into the Sample Preparation and Distribution System (SPDS). The SPDS is the assembly of structures, mechanisms, containers and devices that allow the transport and the processing of the acquired soil samples.
