Design of a Lunar Regolith Sampling System for Large-Scale Rover Traversals

Research and exploration of the Moon are important focuses in the international aerospace field. Lunar sampling is a direct means of studying the Moon. In the future, a greater quantity and wider distribution of shallow lunar soil and rock samples will be needed to support relevant research. Therefore, designing a lunar surface sampling system that can sample a large range of the lunar surface is of great significance. The purpose of this paper is to design a surface sampling system that can be mounted on a lunar rover manipulator and can perform functions such as drilling, sampling, replacing, and recycling the sampling tube. The performance parameters of the motor used in the sampling system are calculated. The fabricated prototype is used to achieve the predetermined functions and the experimental results are explained. Overall, this design addresses the need for autonomous exploration capabilities on the Moon.