FURI | Summer 2020
SCARLESS Sample Return
SCARLESS is a rover design that utilizes helically grousered wheels to traverse the unknown terrain of small bodies in the solar system. In one direction of travel, these wheels act as screws and are effective in a powdery regolith environment. In the other direction, they act as normal wheels and are robust to rocky terrains. Equipped with cold gas thrusters, SCARLESS can descend onto small bodies where it can navigate and retrieve soil samples. Then, it can reuse the thrusters to return the sample to an orbiter.
Student researcher
Darwin P Mick
Mechanical engineering
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Graduation date: Spring 2022