Navigation technology for exploration of glacier ice with maneuverable melting probes

Kowalski, J.; Linder, P.; Zierke, S.; Wulfen, B. von; Clemens, J.; Konstantinidis, K.; Ameres, G.; Hoffmann, R.; Mikucki, J.; Tulaczyk, S.; Funke, O.; Blandfort, D.; Espe, C.; Feldmann, M.; Francke, G.; Hiecker, S.; Plescher, E.; Schöngarth, S.; Schüller, K.; Dachwald, B.; Digel, I.; Artmann, G.; Eliseev, D.; Heinen, D.; Scholz, F.; Wiebusch, C.; Macht, S.; Bestmann, U.; Reineking, T.; Zetzsche, C.; Schill, K.; Förstner, R.; Niedermeier, H.; Szumski, A.; Eissfeller, B.; Naumann, U.; Helbing, K.

doi:10.1016/j.coldregions.2015.11.006

by J. Kowalski, P. Linder, S. Zierke, B. von Wulfen, J. Clemens, K. Konstantinidis, G. Ameres, R. Hoffmann, J. Mikucki, S. Tulaczyk, O. Funke, D. Blandfort, C. Espe, M. Feldmann, G. Francke, S. Hiecker, E. Plescher, S. Schöngarth, K. Schüller, B. Dachwald, I. Digel, G. Artmann, D. Eliseev, D. Heinen, F. Scholz, C. Wiebusch, S. Macht, U. Bestmann, T. Reineking, C. Zetzsche, K. Schill, R. Förstner, H. Niedermeier, A. Szumski, B. Eissfeller, U. Naumann, K. Helbing

Abstract:

The Saturnian moon Enceladus with its extensive water bodies underneath a thick ice sheet cover is a potential candidate for extraterrestrial life. Direct exploration of such extraterrestrial aquatic ecosystems requires advanced access and sampling technologies with a high level of autonomy. A new technological approach has been developed as part of the collaborative research project Enceladus Explorer (EnEx). The concept is based upon a minimally invasive melting probe called the IceMole. The force-regulated, heater-controlled IceMole is able to travel along a curved trajectory as well as upwards. Hence, it allows maneuvers which may be necessary for obstacle avoidance or target selection. Maneuverability, however, necessitates a sophisticated on-board navigation system capable of autonomous operations. The development of such a navigational system has been the focal part of the EnEx project. The original IceMole has been further developed to include relative positioning based on in-ice attitude determination, acoustic positioning, ultrasonic obstacle and target detection integrated through a high-level sensor fusion. This paper describes the EnEx technology and discusses implications for an actual extraterrestrial mission concept.

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PDF URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2015.11.006

Reference:

Navigation technology for exploration of glacier ice with maneuverable melting probes (J. Kowalski, P. Linder, S. Zierke, B. von Wulfen, J. Clemens, K. Konstantinidis, G. Ameres, R. Hoffmann, J. Mikucki, S. Tulaczyk, O. Funke, D. Blandfort, C. Espe, M. Feldmann, G. Francke, S. Hiecker, E. Plescher, S. Schöngarth, K. Schüller, B. Dachwald, I. Digel, G. Artmann, D. Eliseev, D. Heinen, F. Scholz, C. Wiebusch, S. Macht, U. Bestmann, T. Reineking, C. Zetzsche, K. Schill, R. Förstner, H. Niedermeier, A. Szumski, B. Eissfeller, U. Naumann, K. Helbing), In Cold Regions Science and Technology, Elsevier, volume 123, 2016.

Bibtex Entry:

@Article{Kowalski2016,
  author    = {J. Kowalski and P. Linder and S. Zierke and B. von Wulfen and J. Clemens and K. Konstantinidis and G. Ameres and R. Hoffmann and J. Mikucki and S. Tulaczyk and O. Funke and D. Blandfort and C. Espe and M. Feldmann and G. Francke and S. Hiecker and E. Plescher and S. Schöngarth and K. Schüller and B. Dachwald and I. Digel and G. Artmann and D. Eliseev and D. Heinen and F. Scholz and C. Wiebusch and S. Macht and U. Bestmann and T. Reineking and C. Zetzsche and K. Schill and R. Förstner and H. Niedermeier and A. Szumski and B. Eissfeller and U. Naumann and K. Helbing},
  title     = {Navigation technology for exploration of glacier ice with maneuverable melting probes},
  journal   = {Cold Regions Science and Technology},
  year      = {2016},
  volume    = {123},
  pages     = {53--70},
  month     = {mar},
  abstract  = {The Saturnian moon Enceladus with its extensive water bodies underneath a thick ice sheet cover is a potential candidate for extraterrestrial life. Direct exploration of such extraterrestrial aquatic ecosystems requires advanced access and sampling technologies with a high level of autonomy. A new technological approach has been developed as part of the collaborative research project Enceladus Explorer (EnEx). The concept is based upon a minimally invasive melting probe called the IceMole. The force-regulated, heater-controlled IceMole is able to travel along a curved trajectory as well as upwards. Hence, it allows maneuvers which may be necessary for obstacle avoidance or target selection. Maneuverability, however, necessitates a sophisticated on-board navigation system capable of autonomous operations. The development of such a navigational system has been the focal part of the EnEx project. The original IceMole has been further developed to include relative positioning based on in-ice attitude determination, acoustic positioning, ultrasonic obstacle and target detection integrated through a high-level sensor fusion. This paper describes the EnEx technology and discusses implications for an actual extraterrestrial mission concept.},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.coldregions.2015.11.006},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  url       = {10.1016/j.coldregions.2015.11.006">http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2015.11.006},
}