Inflatable and Expandable Systems for Extraterrestrial Exploration and Protection

Abstract

High-volume and high-mass space systems and spacecraft are expensive to launch. Due to increased interest in extraterrestrial exploration and off-world development, there is more and more investigation into long-lasting and robust systems for the Moon and Mars. However, environmental conditions outside of Earth are dangerous for humans and robots alike. Temperature fluctuations, high levels of radiation, micrometeorite impacts on the Moon, dust storms on Mars, and more all threaten explorers. Sending rovers and robotics reduces these risks to human explorers, but these systems must withstand the conditions. Dangerous environmental conditions threaten any space systems, especially smaller systems that have less space for insulating and defensive measures.Inflatable and expandable technology allows the compressed volume of the system to be minimized for launch and then expanded on the surface. Inflatable systems have heritage in orbit and on Mars and have shown significant promise for their continued use in space systems, such as habitats, rovers, and more. The work discussed here dives into inflatable and expandable technology and mission concepts. First, it discusses a brief overview of past and present inflatable technologies in space. Next, three different approaches are discussed to improve extraterrestrial exploration and development. The first is an inflatable rover designed for exploration and data collection within more extreme environments, such as lava tubes and craters. Second is an expandable protective jacket that covers robotic systems to add additional defense from extreme surface radiation and temperatures. Third is an inflating system to characterize micrometeorites and their impacts on the Moon. These three systems share the commonality of using expandable technology to remain compact during launch but accomplish challenging tasks in off-world environments. Lastly, the setup and results of the experimentation of wheel slippage for inflatable tires are analyzed. This work provides a variety of investigations into the applications and advantages of inflatable technologies.