Mobility Challenges and Possible Solutions for Low-gravity Planetary Body Exploration

Kurzfassung

Currently, a number of missions in the field of small bodies exploration, e.g. to asteroids, are ongoing or planned (amongst others Hayabusa 2 by JAXA or the follow-on of Marco Polo by ESA). Several of these missions foresee a lander package for in -situ science (e.g. proposed MASCOT for Hayabusa 2). To enhance functional safety as well as science possibilities, the provision of mobility on the target body is widely appreciated. However, due to the very low gravity influence, possible solutions are different fro m present ones for larger gravity planets and moons such as Mars and the Earth’s Moon. The paper gives an overview about simulation and testing activities which lead to promising mobility concepts for micro-gravity environment.