The smart blast cone sampler was developed for Rio Tinto in Australia to automate the process of testing samples of earth for iron content to decide where to focus mining operations. I was deployed in late 2008 for a 4
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Lunar Dust Tolerant Connector
The lunar dust tolerant connector was developed to support the connection of different components involved in lunar surface operations for a potential permanent outpost on the moon. The unique environment – the vacuum of space, the magnetic, highly abrasive properties
Continue readingInchworm Deep Drilling System (IDDS)
The Inchworm Deep Drilling System (IDDS) concept evolved to allow for interplanetary deep drilling without the need for a large drill rig. The 7′ long drill has two “feet” that allow it to preload itself against a launch tube or
Continue readingSample Manipulation System (SMS) for Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover
Curiosity successfully landed on Mars in 2012 with the Sample Manipulation System (SMS) on board inside the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite. The SMS accepts Martian soil sample from inlet funnels, rotates to deliver that sample to one
Continue readingVolatile Analysis of Polar Regolith (VAPoR) Sample Manipulation System (SMS)
As the project manager and systems engineer for the Volatile Analysis of Polar Regolith (VAPoR) project, I worked with a team at Goddard Space Flight Center to design a smaller version of the Mars Science Laboratory’s Sample Manipulation System (SMS)
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