Diagram of how PlanetVac works showing a sample spacecraft: (1) Compressed gas cylinder releases a pulse of gas that (2) travels down lander leg strut and is (3) expelled through lander leg pad nozzle into regolith, (4) pushing regolith up a second leg strut to (5) sample intake manifold where it is then put into (6) sample return canister with other samples (or alternatively put into an in situ instrument).

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