M-Type Asteroid Sampling Simulator – ASU – A

INSTITUTION

Arizona State University (ASU)

CLASS

Iridium Class (2024 – 2025)

STUDENT TEAM

ACADEMIC GUIDANCE

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The NASA Psyche mission is an orbiter mission to the metal-rich (or M-type) asteroid, Psyche, in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft, which launched in October 2023 and will arrive at the asteroid in mid-2029, will study the asteroid from orbit and will not land on the surface. It is possible to imagine, however, that after learning about Psyche from orbit, there may be scientists and engineers interested in proposing a future mission to send a robotic lander or rover to sample the surface. To prepare for such a mission, extensive simulations would need to be done ahead of time, taking into account the unique characteristics of the Psyche asteroid. In this project, the team will design, create, and test a software model or simulation that would aide in preparation for the process of sampling from the surface of the Psyche asteroid, focusing on the mechanics and logistics of surface sampling operations. The format of the final deliverable is flexible and could be demonstrated via VR, AR, or some web-based or gamified format if time and the skills and interests of the team allow.

This work was created in partial fulfillment of the Arizona State University Capstone Course “___”. The work is a result of the Psyche Student Collaborations component of NASA’s Psyche Mission (https://psyche.asu.edu). “Psyche: A Journey to a Metal World” [Contract number NNM16AA09C] is part of the NASA Discovery Program mission to solar system targets. Trade names and trademarks of ASU and NASA are used in this work for identification only. Their usage does not constitute an official endorsement, either expressed or implied, by Arizona State University or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of ASU or NASA.