Ultrasonically Assisted Hammer-Action Penetrators in Planetary Regolith

Abstract

This paper describes the effects of combining ultrasonic vibration with hammeraction style penetrators, such as the HP 3 probe on the InSight mission. By synchronizing short pulses of vibration with the impact of the hammer, the number of hammer strikes required to reach a specified depth was reduced by over a third in some cases, depending on the sand and amplitude of vibration used. Additional investigations looked at comparing the performance of pure hammering with pure pulsing, allowing recommendations for operational procedures if this technology were to be taken forward in the future.