Landing System for Uncertain Terrain – Michigan Tech
INSTITUTION
Michigan Technological University
CLASS
Nickel Class (2020 – 2021)
STUDENT TEAM
Will R. Kendall, Mechanical Engineering
Nate D. Moeller, Electrical Engineering
Tyler J. Pereny, Electrical Engineering
Corey J. Rothering, Mechanical Engineering
Kory A. Patrick, Mechanical Engineering
Tommy Childers (ASU Online), Engineering Management
ACADEMIC GUIDANCE
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The NASA Psyche Mission is set to launch in 2022 and arrive at the asteroid in 2026. It is an orbiter mission 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 subsequent mission to actually land on the asteroid. Designing to the range of hypothesized surfaces and terrain that might be found at Psyche (and keeping in mind other constraints such as its gravity), the team will design a landing system capable of safely landing on the asteroid. Hypothesized surfaces and terrain may include: mostly flat metallic surface, flat metallic with metal and/or rocky debris, rough/high-relief metallic and/or rocky terrain, high-relief metallic crater walls.