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Mars Phoenix Robotic Arm

08/11/2006

Alliance Spacesystems’ next robotic arm destined for Mars will fly aboard NASA’s Mars PhoenixLander, scheduled for launch in August 2007. Phoenix is targeted to softly land on the northernplains of Mars in May 2007, where the robotic arm will trench the Martian surface like amini-backhoe to uncover an expected layer of rock-hard water ice.

Endowed with four degrees of freedom and a reach of 2.3 meters, the aluminum and titaniumdevice weighs less than 9.7 kilograms. At the business-end of the arm is a garden trowel-sizescoop for trenching. A powered rasp is mounted on the scoop to penetrate, break up and retrievethe hoped-for water-ice samples for scientific examination by lander instruments. A camera is alsomounted on the arm to give scientists on Earth a close-up view of sediment and ice layers in thetrench wall.

The three-month mission is expected to yield new clues to the history of water on Mars andwhether the environment was ever conducive to life.

Performance

Parameter Units Value

Degrees of Freedom - 4

Mass kg 8.9

Length m 2.4

Actuator Torques Nm 10-82

Range of Motion degrees ±135

Actuator Power W 15 max

Accuracy cm ±1.8

Operating Temperature ºC -55/+25

Survival Temperature ºC -108/+110

Applications

Planetary and lunar landers and rovers.

Heritage

Phoenix lander to launch in 2007.

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Last Updated ( 08/20/2006 )

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