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DOE OSTI2022

Triple containment targets for particle irradiation

The invention provides a system for containing irradiated particles, the system having a housing having a closed upstream end and an open downstream end; an axially disposed tunnel extending from the downstream end to the upstream end, wherein longitudinally extending regions of the tunnel define a plurality of threaded surfaces; a sample cup positioned within the tunnel and proximal to the closed upstream end; threaded plugs matingly received by the threaded surfaces so as to provide at least one seal between the sample cup and the atmosphere external of the housing; and a plurality of deformable substrates disposed between the plugs.

Smith, Nicholas A.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Paleointensity determinations at elevated temperatures - Sample preparation technique

A technique has been developed for the encapsulation of rock samples in order to prevent the chemical alterations which commonly accompany paleointensity measurements at elevated temperatures. The technique involves vacuum pumping at about 100 C of the sample as placed in a silica tube. The tube containing the sample and a Ti 'getter' are sealed under vacuum. Measurements can be made at 200 and 300 C. Immediately after this, the sample is sealed-off from the getter. The sample is now ready for measurements at higher temperatures.

Taylor, L. A.↗

NASA NTRS2022

Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover SHERLOC Instrument Isolation System

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) successfully landed the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover at Jezero Crater on the Martian surface. Perseverance’s main mission objective is to cache Martian rock and regolith samples in hermetically sealed tubes to be brought back to Earth by future missions. To achieve this goal the rover is equipped with a 2-meter-long Robotic Arm (RA) which manipulates the Turret to interact with the surface. The Turret is comprised of science instruments and tools that enable surface sampling and science. The backbone of the Turret hardware is the Rotary Percussive Coring Drill. The science instruments, which are directly mounted to the structural housing of this drill, must be able to withstand not only the launch and entry, descent and landing (EDL) loads of the vehicle but also the dynamic percussive environment, induced by the drill throughout surface operations. This paper discusses the technical hardware design, development and testing of a vibration isolation system to protect the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) Instrument from these dynamic environments. The hardware design aspect of this problem was limited by both size and mass constraints. The Turret is tightly configured and the physical space in which hardware can reside is restricted due to multiple axes of surface interaction points. Another driving requirement is the extreme range of thermal non-operational environment from -135C to +90C. This, in addition to SHERLOC being a heavier instrument than previously integrated on a turret, made the use of isolation systems employed on previous rover missions problematic. The final design incorporates custom wire mesh springs preloaded within titanium hexapod struts equipped with flexure ends. Custom versions of commercially available wire mesh springs were designed and tested. These custom springs differed in dimension, density and stiffness from the off the shelf options. The newly designed springs went through various stages of flight acceptance testing. Detailed physics-based modeling to understand what loads the isolation system would experience was used to define the test conditions for the springs and entire isolation subsystem. The testing program developed around this was extensive to fully characterize the isolation performance over cleanliness levels, temperature and life. Another major aspect of this work was developing a method of replicating the drill’s percussive environment for performance and life testing of Turret mounted hardware. Attaching the instrument to an operating drill for testing was not a viable option. A method of using a Highly Accelerated Life Test (HALT) table was developed and applied across the project as the most representative and tunable option to physically simulate this new environment. This method, along with launch environment random vibration testing, was used to build an entire dynamic qualification and flight hardware test program. The results of the design, modeling, testing and analysis of the SHERLOC Isolation System is described throughout the following paper.

Krafchak, Todd↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

From Apollo to Artemis: How Processing ANGSA Core Samples 73001/2 Can Help to Prepare for Future Sample Return Missions to the Moon and Beyond.

Introduction: Apollo Sample 73001/2 is a ~71cm long double drive tube consisting of an upper part (73002) and a lower part (73001) that contains regolith collected near Lara Crater at the Apollo 17 site, Station 3. The double drive tube is believed to have penetrated a lunar landslide deposit that was transported from the slope of the South Massif into the Taurus-Littrow Valley [1]. As part of the ANGSA (Apollo Next Generation Sample Analyses) initiative, preparing a preliminary examination (PE) catalog of 73001/2 is a crucial first step for the early identification of material types such as rock fragments and potential stratigraphy within the core. Many new curation and scientific tools such as X-ray computed tomography (XCT) [3], multi-spectral imaging [4], and gas extraction manifold with piercing tool [5-7], have been applied to the ANGSA core to benefit curation strategy, PE efforts, sample allocation to the planetary science community, and ultimately help to prepare for future sample return missions like Artemis. 73001/2 Preliminary Examination and Processing: Sample 73002 was successfully opened and extruded in Nov. 2019 and fully dissected at the end of 2021. Sample 73001 (Fig. 1) was successfully extruded in March 2022 after careful planning before opening the Core Sample Vacuum Container (CSVC) that was holding the drive tube of 73001. XCT, as part of PE, was used to scan the bottom and top part of the 73001 core tube within the CSVC prior to opening it to 1) facilitate non-destructive, rapid detection of any contamination potentials due to piercing of the CSVC during gas extraction [7]; and 2) to aid in the Artemis sample tool development and provide data on the knife edge seal of the CSVC. This knowledge will help us connect the mechanics of the implemented design (i.e., XCT data) to the performance of the seal (i.e., data on the gas samples will tell us how well the seal preserved the volatile record of lunar samples). Both type of information will feed forward into Artemis tool and storage strategies for future samples. Results and Lessons learned: The XCT data of the CSVC and core tube within showed that the bottom Teflon cap was not pierced during gas extraction (Fig. 1c) and thus, the sample integrity remained guaranteed during piercing and subsequent gas extraction. However, the XCT scan of the top of the core (Fig. 1b) revealed that the drive tube was overfilled with lunar soil and the tool that keeps the soil constrained within the drive tube was not fully deployed. These preliminary data allowed us to implement the necessary steps to prevent loss of sample integrity, including any potential stratigraphy shifts during extrusion. Processing Apollo core 73001/2, creating an informative PE catalog, and applying new and refined tools and technologies for sample analyses are invaluable activities that will assist in circumventing any potential pitfalls, aid in the characterization of samples, and help in the assessment of how well any lunar material has been collected and preserved in the past. This will aid in designing future sample collections and curation procedures and help to prepare for future human exploration and sampling missions such as Artemis. References: [1] Schmitt H. (2017) Icarus 298, 2-33. [3] Zeigler et al. (2021) LPSC 52nd, #2632; [4] Sun et al. (2021), LPSC 52nd, #1789; [5] Parai et al. (2021), LPSC 52nd #2665; [6] Schild et al. (2021) LPSC 52nd #1888; [7] McDonald (2022) ESL 2022.

ANGSA↗

NASA NTRS1976

A versatile system for biological and soil chemical tests on a planetary landing craft. II - Hardware development

A system has been under development which is designed to seek remotely for clues to life in planetary soil samples. The basic approach is a set of experiments, all having a common sensor, a gas analysis mass spectrometer which monitors gas composition in the head spaces above sealed, temperature controlled soil samples. Versatility is obtained with up to three preloaded, sealed fluid injector capsules for each of eleven soil test cells. Tests results with an engineering model has demonstrated performance capability of subsystem components such as soil distribution, gas sampling valves, injector mechanisms, temperature control, and test cell seal.

Martin, J. P.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Nuclear fuel irradiation testbed for nuclear security applications

The nuclear security community has long been interested in the identification and quantification of nuclear material signatures to understand a material’s provenance, use, and ultimate application. New forensics signatures and methods intended for non-traditional or advanced nuclear fuel applications require fuel irradiation experiments to demonstrate viability and validity. Integral fuel irradiations have historically required significant costs and long timelines to design, irradiate, and characterize. This paper describes how a recently developed nuclear fuel irradiation testbed can be used to provide a low cost, rapid turnaround, modular test environment for irradiation and evaluation of nuclear fuel specimens for nuclear security applications. The irradiation testbed houses six small ‘MiniFuel’ samples within hermetically sealed capsules inside targets that can be removed in between each ∼25-day operating cycle of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). As many as nine targets can be irradiated using a single irradiation position (reflector region) in HFIR, allowing for varying irradiation temperatures and burnups. A suite of hot cell capabilities have been established to perform post-irradiation examination for measuring performance (e.g., fuel swelling, fission gas release) and facilitating experiment disassembly for subsequent property measurements, microstructural analysis, or chemical assay. This new testbed allows fuel irradiations to be conducted on an accelerated timeframe to enable rapid proof of concept testing and to provide reference material for nuclear fuel security applications. Recent applications using this testbed include the testing of isotopic taggants in UO 2 fuel (intentional forensics), testing of U-10Mo fuel for down-conversion of highly enriched uranium–fueled reactors, and the production of irradiated UO 2 fuel material for signature analysis of its isotopic composition (plutonium, fission gases, etc.).

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

NASA NTRS2007

NASA Tech Briefs, August 2007

Topics include: Program Merges SAR Data on Terrain and Vegetation Heights; Using G(exp 4)FETs as a Data Router for In-Plane Crossing of Signal Paths; Two Algorithms for Processing Electronic Nose Data; Radiation-Tolerant Dual Data Bus; General-Purpose Front End for Real-Time Data Processing; Nanocomposite Photoelectrochemical Cells; Ultracapacitor-Powered Cordless Drill, Cumulative Timers for Microprocessors; Photocatalytic/Magnetic Composite Particles; Separation and Sealing of a Sample Container Using Brazing; Automated Aerial Refueling Hitches a Ride on AFF; Cobra Probes Containing Replaceable Thermocouples; High-Speed Noninvasive Eye-Tracking System; Detergent-Specific Membrane Protein Crystallization Screens; Evaporation-Cooled Protective Suits for Firefighters; Plasmonic Antenna Coupling for QWIPs; Electronic Tongue Containing Redox and Conductivity Sensors; Improved Heat-Stress Algorithm; A Method of Partly Automated Testing of Software; Rover Wheel-Actuated Tool Interface; and Second-Generation Electronic Nose.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2013

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2013

Topics include: Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector With; Selective Polarization Coupling; Flexible Microstrip Circuits for; Superconducting Electronics; CFD Extraction Tool for TecPlot From DPLR Solutions; RECOVIR Software for Identifying Viruses; Enhanced Contact Graph Routing (ECGR) MACHETE Simulation Model; Orbital Debris Engineering Model (ORDEM) v.3; Scatter-Reducing Sounding Filtration Using a Genetic Algorithm and Mean Monthly Standard Deviation; Thermo-Mechanical Methodology for Stabilizing Shape Memory Alloy Response; Hermetic Seal Designs for Sample Return Sample Tubes; Silicon Alignment Pins: An Easy Way To Realize a Wafer-to-Wafer Alignment; Positive-Buoyancy Rover for Under Ice Mobility; Electric Machine With Boosted Inductance to Stabilize Current Control; International Space Station-Based Electromagnetic Launcher for Space Science Payloads; Advanced Hybrid Spacesuit Concept Featuring Integrated Open Loop and Closed Loop Ventilation Systems; Data Quality Screening Service.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2015

Development of NASA's Sample Cartridge Assembly: Design, Thermal Analysis, and Testing

NASA's Sample Cartridge Assembly (SCA) project is responsible for designing and validating a payload that contains a materials research sample in a sealed environment. The SCA will be heated in the European Space Agency's (ESA) Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) that is housed inside the Material Science Research Rack (MSRR) located in the International Space Station (ISS). Sintered metals and crystal growth experiments in microgravity are examples of some of the types of materials research that may be performed with a SCA. The project's approach has been to use thermal models to guide the SCA through several design iterations. Various layouts of the SCA components were explored to meet the science and engineering requirements, and testing has been done to help prove the design. This paper will give an overview of the SCA design. It will show how thermal analysis is used to support the project. Also some testing that has been completed will also be discussed, including changes that were made to the thermal profile used during brazing.

O'Connor, Brian↗

NASA NTRS2017

Development of NASA's Sample Cartridge Assembly: Summary of GEDS Design, Development Testing, and Thermal Analyses

NASA's Sample Cartridge Assembly (SCA) project is responsible for designing and validating a payload that contains materials research samples in a sealed environment. The SCA will be heated in the European Space Agency's (ESA) Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) that is housed inside the Material Science Research Rack (MSRR) located on the International Space Station (ISS). The first Principle Investigator (PI) to utilize the SCA will focus on Gravitational Effects on Distortion in Sintering (GEDS) research. This paper will give a summary of the design and development test effort for the GEDS SCA and will discuss the role of thermal analysis in developing test profiles to meet the science and engineering requirements. Lessons learned will be reviewed and salient design features that may differ for each PI will be discussed.

O'Connor, Brian↗

NASA NTRS2011

Temperature and Atomic Oxygen Effects on Helium Leak Rates of a Candidate Main Interface Seal

Helium leak tests were completed to characterize the leak rate of a 54 in. diameter composite space docking seal design in support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA's) Low Impact Docking System (LIDS). The evaluated seal design was a candidate for the main interface seal on the LIDS, which would be compressed between two vehicles, while docked, to prevent the escape of breathable air from the vehicles and into the vacuum of space. Leak tests completed at nominal temperatures of -30, 20, and 50 C on untreated and atomic oxygen (AO) exposed test samples were examined to determine the influence of both test temperature and AO exposure on the performance of the composite seal assembly. Results obtained for untreated seal samples showed leak rates which increased with increased test temperature. This general trend was not observed in tests of the AO exposed specimens. Initial examination of collected test data suggested that AO exposure resulted in higher helium leak rates, however, further analysis showed that the differences observed in the 20 and 50 C tests between the untreated and AO exposed samples were within the experimental error of the test method. Lack of discernable trends in the test data prevented concrete conclusions about the effects of test temperature and AO exposure on helium leak rates of the candidate seal design from being drawn. To facilitate a comparison of the current test data with results from previous leak tests using air as the test fluid, helium leak rates were converted to air leak rates using standard conversion factors for viscous and molecular flow. Flow rates calculated using the viscous flow conversion factor were significantly higher than the experimental air leakage values, whereas values calculated using the molecular flow conversion factor were significantly lower than the experimentally obtained air leak rates. The difference in these sets of converted flow rates and their deviation from the experimentally obtained air leak rate data suggest that neither conversion factor can be used alone to accurately convert helium leak rates to equivalent air leak rates for the test seals evaluated in this study; other leak phenomena, including permeation, must also be considered.

Penney, Nicholas↗

NASA NTRS2003

Explosion Welding for Hermetic Containerization

A container designed for storing samples of hazardous material features a double wall, part of which is sacrificed during an explosion-welding process in which the container is sealed and transferred to a clean environment. The major advantage of this container sealing process is that once the samples have been sealed inside, the outer wall of what remains of the container is a clean surface that has not come into contact with the environment from which the samples were taken. Thus, there is no need to devise a decontamination process capable of mitigating all hazards that might be posed by unanticipated radioactive, chemical, and/or biological contamination of the outside of the container. The container sealing method was originally intended to be used to return samples from Mars to Earth, but it could also be used to store samples of hazardous materials, without the need to decontaminate its outer surface. The process stages are shown. In its initial double-wall form, the volume between the walls is isolated from the environment; in other words, the outer wall (which is later sacrificed) initially serves to protect the inner container from contamination. The sample is placed inside the container through an opening at one end, then the container is placed into a transfer dock/lid. The surfaces that will be welded together under the explosive have been coated with a soft metallic sacrificial layer. During the explosion, the sacrificial layer is ejected, and the container walls are welded together, creating a strong metallic seal. The inner container is released during the same event and enters the clean environment.

Dolgin, Benjamin↗

NASA NTRS2014

X-Ray Micro-Computed Tomography of Apollo Samples as a Curation Technique Enabling Better Research

X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a technique that has been used to research meteorites for some time and many others], and recently it is becoming a more common tool for the curation of meteorites and Apollo samples. Micro-CT is ideally suited to the characterization of astromaterials in the curation process as it can provide textural and compositional information at a small spatial resolution rapidly, nondestructively, and without compromising the cleanliness of the samples (e.g., samples can be scanned sealed in Teflon bags). This data can then inform scientists and curators when making and processing future sample requests for meteorites and Apollo samples. Here we present some preliminary results on micro-CT scans of four Apollo regolith breccias. Methods: Portions of four Apollo samples were used in this study: 14321, 15205, 15405, and 60639. All samples were 8-10 cm in their longest dimension and approximately equant. These samples were micro-CT scanned on the Nikon HMXST 225 System at the Natural History Museum in London. Scans were made at 205-220 kV, 135-160 microamps beam current, with an effective voxel size of 21-44 microns. Results: Initial examination of the data identify a variety of mineral clasts (including sub-voxel FeNi metal grains) and lithic clasts within the regolith breccias. Textural information within some of the lithic clasts was also discernable. Of particular interest was a large basalt clast (approx.1.3 cc) found within sample 60639, which appears to have a sub-ophitic texture. Additionally, internal void space, e.g., fractures and voids, is readily identifiable. Discussion: It is clear from the preliminary data that micro-CT analyses are able to identify important "new" clasts within the Apollo breccias, and better characterize previously described clasts or igneous samples. For example, the 60639 basalt clast was previously believed to be quite small based on its approx.0.5 sq cm exposure on the surface of the main mass. These scans show the clast to be approx.4.5 g, however (assuming a density of approx.3.5 g/cc). This is large enough for detailed studies including multiple geo-chronometers. This basalt clast is of particular interest as it is the largest Apollo 16 basalt, and it is the only mid-TiO2 basalt in the Apollo sample suite. By identifying the location of interesting clasts or grains within a sample, we will be able to make more informed decisions about where to cut a sample in order to best expose clasts of interest for future study. Moreover, knowing the location of internal defects (e.g., fractures) will allow more precise chipping and extraction of clasts or grains. By combining micro-CT scans with compositional techniques like micro x-ray fluorescence (particularly on sawn slabs), we will be able to provide even more comprehensive information to scientists trying to best select samples that fit their scientific needs.

Ziegler, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Mars Sample Thermal Control During Mars Ascent and Orbit

Although NASA has no official plans at this time for a mission to return samples from Mars, the Program Formulation Office of the Mars Exploration Program sponsors ongoing mission concept studies, systems analyses, and technology investments which explore different strategies for the potential return of samples from Mars, consistent with the charter of the program and stated priorities of the science community. Maintaining the thermal integrity of collected samples would be very important. In general, samples would be collected, sealed inside tubes, and left on the surface for later retrieval. They would then be inserted into an OS (Orbiting Sample), and carried to a Mars or Solar orbit via a MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle). Subsequently, an Earth return vehicle would rendezvous with the OS and bring it back to Earth. During ascent from Mars, the OS could serve as the nose cone of the MAV and would be subjected to significant aerodynamic heating from the Martian atmosphere. Once the OS is released from the MAV, its external surface would be exposed to potentially several years of sunlight, eclipse, planetary IR, albedo, and space. The challenge is to ensure that these samples are kept at thermally moderate conditions to preserve their integrity in these widely different environments. Various thermal techniques have been investigated to achieve sample thermal control: use of thermal protection shields and surfaces (ablative and non-ablative) to protect them from adverse exposure to ascent heating, as well combinations of thermo-optical coatings during the orbital phase. The work described herein is part of this ongoing effort & will describe the key challenges related to the thermal control of the potential Mars samples during these phases and the corresponding schemes to overcome them.

Bhandari, Pradeep↗

NASA NTRS2019

Mars 2020 sample caching system contamination: how to clean hardware and keep it clean

The Mars 2020 Rover will have the capability to collect and cache samples for potential Mars sample return. Specifically, the sample caching system (SCS) is designed for coring Mars samples and acquiring regolith samples as well as handling, sealing and caching on Mars. As the potential first Martian samples that could be returned to Earth, assuring low levels of terrestrial contamination is of the utmost concern. In developing the SCS, the project prioritizes limiting sample contamination in organic, inorganic and biological areas. The focus of this paper is on the strategies being implemented to clean the assemble the sampling hardware to meet and maintain stringent contamination requirements.

Rainen, Richard↗

NASA NTRS2019

Organic and inorganic contamination control approaches for return sample investigation on Mars 2020

The Mars 2020 Rover mission will have the capability to collect and cache samples for potential Mars sample return. Specifically, the sample caching system (SCS) is designed for coring Mars samples and acquiring regolith samples as well as handling, sealing and caching on Mars. As the potential first Martian samples that could be returned to Earth, assuring low levels of terrestrial contamination is of the utmost concern. In developing the SCS, the project prioritizes limiting sample contamination in organic, inorganic and biological areas. The focus of this paper is on the strategies being implemented to limit terrestrial organic and inorganic contamination in the samples.

Steltzner, Adam↗

NASA NTRS2010

MISSE 6, 7 and 8 Materials Sample Experiments from the International Space Station Materials and Processes Team

The International Space Station Materials and Processes (ISS M&P) team has multiple material samples on MISSE 6, 7 and 8 to observe Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environmental effects on Space Station materials. Optical properties, thickness/mass loss, surface elemental analysis, visual and microscopic analysis for surface change are some of the techniques employed in this investigation. The ISS M&P team has participated in previous MISSE activities in order to better characterize the LEO effects on Space Station materials. This investigation will further this effort. Results for the following MISSE 6 samples materials will be presented: a comparison of anodize and chemical conversion coatings on various aluminum alloys, electroless nickel; AZ93 white ceramic thermal control coating with and without Teflon; Hyzod(TM) polycarbonate used to temporarily protect ISS windows; Russian quartz window material; reformulated Teflon (TM) coated Beta Cloth (Teflon TM without perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)) and a Dutch version of beta cloth. Discussion for current and future MISSE materials experiments will be presented. MISSE 7 samples are: deionized water sealed anodized aluminum Photofoil(TM); indium tin oxide (ITO)- coated Kapton(TM) used as thermo-optical surfaces; mechanically scribed tin-plated beryllium-copper samples for "tin pest" growth ( alpha/Beta transformation); Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) parachute soft goods. MISSE 8 sample: exposed "scrim cloth" (fiberglass weave) from the ISS solar array wing material, Davlyn fiberglass sleeve material, Permacel and Intertape protective tapes, and ITO-coated Kapton.

Kravchenko, Michael↗

NASA NTRS2013

A Mars Sample Return Sample Handling System

We present a sample handling system, a subsystem of the proposed Dragon landed Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission [1], that can return to Earth orbit a significant mass of frozen Mars samples potentially consisting of: rock cores, subsurface drilled rock and ice cuttings, pebble sized rocks, and soil scoops. The sample collection, storage, retrieval and packaging assumptions and concepts in this study are applicable for the NASA's MPPG MSR mission architecture options [2]. Our study assumes a predecessor rover mission collects samples for return to Earth to address questions on: past life, climate change, water history, age dating, understanding Mars interior evolution [3], and, human safety and in-situ resource utilization. Hence the rover will have "integrated priorities for rock sampling" [3] that cover collection of subaqueous or hydrothermal sediments, low-temperature fluidaltered rocks, unaltered igneous rocks, regolith and atmosphere samples. Samples could include: drilled rock cores, alluvial and fluvial deposits, subsurface ice and soils, clays, sulfates, salts including perchlorates, aeolian deposits, and concretions. Thus samples will have a broad range of bulk densities, and require for Earth based analysis where practical: in-situ characterization, management of degradation such as perchlorate deliquescence and volatile release, and contamination management. We propose to adopt a sample container with a set of cups each with a sample from a specific location. We considered two sample cups sizes: (1) a small cup sized for samples matching those submitted to in-situ characterization instruments, and, (2) a larger cup for 100 mm rock cores [4] and pebble sized rocks, thus providing diverse samples and optimizing the MSR sample mass payload fraction for a given payload volume. We minimize sample degradation by keeping them frozen in the MSR payload sample canister using Peltier chip cooling. The cups are sealed by interference fitted heat activated memory alloy caps [5] if the heating does not affect the sample, or by crimping caps similar to bottle capping. We prefer cap sealing surfaces be external to the cup rim to prevent sample dust inside the cups interfering with sealing, or, contamination of the sample by Teflon seal elements (if adopted). Finally the sample collection rover, or a Fetch rover, selects cups with best choice samples and loads them into a sample tray, before delivering it to the Earth Return Vehicle (ERV) in the MSR Dragon capsule as described in [1] (Fig 1). This ensures best use of the MSR payload mass allowance. A 3 meter long jointed robot arm is extended from the Dragon capsule's crew hatch, retrieves the sample tray and inserts it into the sample canister payload located on the ERV stage. The robot arm has capacity to obtain grab samples in the event of a rover failure. The sample canister has a robot arm capture casting to enable capture by crewed or robot spacecraft when it returns to Earth orbit

Wilson, David↗