Space penetrator a smashing success

Scientists have been smashing their instruments into the Welsh countryside in preparation for future planetary space missions.

The high speed penetrator designed to pierce the surface of planets

Impact trials have taken place in Wales to test high speed ‘penetrators’ that would pierce the surface of planets. The team lead by University College London hope that the high speed penetrators, which carry data-collecting systems and sensors, could be an alternative to manned planet exploration.

An assortment of instruments including a seismometer and mass spectrometer were crashed into a sand target at around 700 miles per hour causing a deceleration of about 20,000 gee (20,000 times the acceleration due to gravity, humans can survive around 10 gee). Professor Smith from UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory said: “Prior to this trial, we had to rely on computer modelling and analysis. As far as we can tell the trial has been enormously successful, with all aspects of the electronics working correctly during and after the impact. I congratulate the team on this really impressive achievement – to get everything right first time is wonderful, and a tribute to British technology and innovation.”

UCL and its collaborators, the University of Surrey, Birkbeck College, Imperial College, the Open University and QinetiQ plan to use the penetrators on the proposed UK MoonLITE mission, which it is hoped will be launched in 2013. Looking further out in the solar system, planets like Europa, Ganymede, Enceladous and Titan could be next to host an unmanned landing.
The UK penetrator consortium is funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

By Leila Sattary