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May 5, 2006

Dolores Beasley/Michael Braukus


Headquarters, Washington
(202) 358-1753/1979

Kelly Humphries/Lynnette B. Madison


Johnson Space Center, Houston
(281) 483-5111

RELEASE: 06-213

NASA'S NEW PLANETARY DRILL IS A 60-WATT TIME TUNNEL

Geologists, biologists and archaeologists for years have used core


samples to look back in time, tunneling through layers of soil and
stone to study history. NASA engineers are taking this veteran
technique into the future with a design that can bore into other
planets using just a light bulb's worth of power.

This month they will drill more than six feet deep into the tundra of
the Canadian Arctic with a futuristic tool that is a cross between an
oil rig and a portable household drill, making it ideal for space
exploration.

The research team is spending the next two weeks testing the drill at
the Eureka Weather Station on Ellesmere Island in Canada's Nunavut
province, about 690 miles from the North Pole. The outpost is on a
vast, ice-covered landscape, buffeted by frigid winds and sub-zero
temperatures. The conditions are in some ways similar to those found
on the moon and Mars. The team will gather dozens of core samples
that Canadian geologists will use to learn more about the geology and
biology of the icy island.

A similar drill may one day be used by astronauts to bore into the
polar caps of Mars in search for water, other resources and the
evidence of habitability. These types of drills and other drill
technology under development will also be a feature of early robotic
precursor missions to human exploration.

The drill was conceived by engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center


and Baker Hughes Inc., both in Houston. It should ultimately be able
to plunge to depths of several hundred yards using power generated by
solar arrays or an atomic battery.

"Lab tests are important, but we learn so much more from the extremes
faced in field testing," said Johnson's Jeffrey George, manager of
the Planetary Drill Project.

Surprises are expected. During an October 2004 expedition with an


earlier prototype, the team encountered a scavenging polar bear. More
important, they learned the extreme cold caused a polymer fitting in
the drill to contract differently than its metal counterpart,
temporarily slowing the drill.

Since the drill is designed to be carried on spaceships, it has


weight, size and power consumption limits according to George. At 30
pounds, the drill is heavier than a workshop drill, but lighter than
the smallest standard ground drilling rig, making it portable and
easy to handle.

The drill consists of a control box, support structure and the drill
itself. The six-foot-long, 1.75-inch diameter drill is housed inside
a metal tube, called a spud tube, a nod to the oil field term
spudding, meaning to bore into a new well.

The drill is lowered into the bore hole by its tether. The drill
follows the auger bit down and is periodically pulled to the surface
to remove the core and drill cuttings. A laptop computer is connected
to the control box to send commands and record data.

The project is a cooperative effort among Johnson, NASA's Ames


Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and with faculty members from
McGill University in Montreal.

A videofile about this research will air on NASA TV. NASA TV's Public,
Education and Media channels are available on an MPEG-2 digital
C-band signal accessed via satellite AMC-6, at 72 degrees west
longitude, transponder 17C, 4040 MHz, vertical polarization. In
Alaska and Hawaii, they're on AMC-7 at 137 degrees west longitude,
transponder 18C, at 4060 MHz, horizontal polarization. A Digital
Video Broadcast compliant Integrated Receiver Decoder is required for
reception. For NASA TV information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For still images or for more information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/preparingtravel/mars_drill.html

-end-

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