Bruce Murray Space Image Library

PlanetVac Planetary Regolith (Dirt) Swirly Sampling Test

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A lab test of a PlanetVac planetary regolith surface sampling option for the gas outlets that would be at the bottom of a planetary lander leg. PlanetVac, a Planetary Society/Honeybee Robotics project, would use gas to force planetary surface materials up tubes to onboard instruments or sample return capsules. This test, by Delft University graduate student Siddharth Pandey, uses gas outlet orientations that create a swirl effect helping to lift planetary regolith in something like a mini-tornado.