So, we have the probe on the Lunar surface and we are set to start drilling. This raises the question of what our drilling equipment will look like.
I am not sure we would opt for straight section drill tubes (ala Oil-rig style) where sections need to be screwed together as they were required but you never know. I am also having a hard time getting my head around the idea that we could have a coiled drill arrangement that would be wound off from a storage drum. Maybe pushing the drill motor drive on which the fixed straight corer length is attached. Would we need spare corer bits to hand to cope with wear and tear?
The other questions that also need to be answered is, how much material could the on-board analysis lab handle at a time.
Would we drill a little, retreive the sample (known depth for each sample) and begin analysis? This means drilling a given depth then recovering the drill with sample all the way back in order to deposit the sample.
So, thinking caps on guys. We have a thread running on the delivery system technology. What sort of rig are we going to deliver? The aim here is to explore the options we could sensibly deploy. We will, of course, have to test some of this here on earth before we send it off.

Thank you for starting the debate on the drilling technology as it was a subject I wanted to think about.
The issue that worries me is that LM1 intends to drill up to 100m deep. This would create a lot of spoil as well as the samples we all want to see.
But I am guessing that our probe will be smaller than the average washing machine - where will the spoil go?
I know the hole will only be about 50mm diameter but it will still become an issue won't it?
Does anyone think an external screw type drill like ones used in the building industry for piling be any good?

Hi Folks, I am wondering if there are other technologies available that are less mechanical that can operate in the environment? Lasers come to mind, as do some kind of sonic or even seismic device.

The good news of course is that there might be new technologies developed between now and launch, for example a Quark-Gloun plasma device and with the LHC now fired up, who knows what they might find.

In terms of the current thinking and direction, quote below and link here for more lunarmissionone.com/index.php/Lunar-Miss.../the-technology.html


The drilling operations for Lunar Mission One will use a development of the latest wireline drilling technology in which the complete drill assembly is lowered into the hole by an attached cable. It will anchor itself to the side of the borehole, creating a force for a bottom drill extension to cut a 5cm diameter hole, around a 2.5cm diameter cylindrical core at the centre of the hole. Every 15 cm or so, taking typically an hour to drill, the cable will lift the drill assembly with its core sample to the surface for scientific analysis. The drill will then be returned down the hole to repeat the cycle. A casing or stub tube may be inserted to ensure the stability of the borehole near the surface.

Hi,

I have to agree that the solid drill pipe style (ala oil-rigs) probably wouldn't work on a small probe. I'm thinking the storage space for the pipes would take up a lot of room and mass. Worth considering is the strain (weight and torque) a thin pipe would be under, to get it to not snap would be a bit of hefty engineering, probably only solved with expensive materials, pushing up the cost.
Tripping the pipe (pulling the whole drill string out of the hole) to get each sample would also make it a tedious operation with more opportunity for things going wrong each time you go back into the hole.

The wireline drilling system that Chris quoted from the LM1 technology page is a good idea in my opinion, it'll be quicker to get in and out of the hole to retrieve samples and put less strain on the drill.

One thing to manage is the heat produced by the drill head, especially at depth. If it overheats and seizes, then (unless the top assembly attached to the lander can move a bit) the hole is lost and even if we're able to get the wire up after disconnecting the original drilling assembly and replace it with a spare. We'd then still have to drill through the stuck drill assembly downhole.

This might bring the solid drill pipe back into contention as you can steer it, all be it crudely, with current technology. With a bit of modification however it shouldn't be too hard to get the wireline assembly to be able to steer either.
Maybe running a coolant through the system, linked to radiators on the lander might work if heat management is needed?

Casing the hole traditionally will just add weight. Perhaps a spray on coating, a plastic that hardens perhaps? Something that can be attached to the rear of the bottom hole assembly and supplied from a small reservoir at the surface? How far down would the casing have to go, would it just be until we hit solid rock? ( I did have to remind myself that there probably won't be any liquids trying to get into the borehole! )

Might sketch a few ideas out.

Lasers and the like might work but that's far outside my knowledge! My only concerns would be the effectiveness and reliability. But with so long to plan and test I'd say get some lasers and start blasting rocks!
Just a last point on lasers and plasma cutters and all things excellent and sci-fi-ish, would they vitrify the rock? Then you'd have to smash through to get samples? This would mean the hole was self casing though!

Anyway, that's my five pence. Cheers.

EDIT: Without any drilling fluid to circulate the cuttings to the surface, how are we not going to get stuck? Archimedes screw it all the way up? I had an idea of blasting high pressure air out of the drill bit, pushing the spoil out of the hole and away from the lander. This will necessitate a supply of HPA as well as some sort of deflector on the probe so we don't cover it in dust.

EDIT 2: After some extra reading it seems the team has already thought of most of these things. However I'm still a bit bugged by the need for a coring bit for the drill. Surely it would be easier to have a full faced bit to drill down and then use an extra module (more weight I know) to take sidewall plugs (little cores from the side of the borehole). Getting back even twenty meters of full lunar core to be examined in-situ would be awesome but is it feasible?
I went looking for the paper where they have the results of the tests of the drill included in the first LM-1 mission plan but I'm not paying $51 for 24 hours access, so that'll have to remain a mystery for now!
Also what tests can be done on core that couldn't be done on cuttings plus an imaging run of the borehole wall? Rock strength and fluid flow, but nothing else jumps out at me... Any thoughts?

I am TC Ng from Hong Kong , they called me "Space Dentist" . Welcome to search for my stories by typing Ng Tze Chuen through Internet . I have been involved with all the sampling tools on board ESA / Beagle 2 Mars Mission in 2003 , going to design sampling drill bits for ESA/ Lunar 27 Mission . Also I have conceived the 2nd Generation Corer- Grinder with 11 functions / 500 gm mass / size of 3 iPhone 5 / low power consumption for future European sampling missions , replacing the 1st Generation Corer-Grinder of Beagle 2 .
I am working with Dr Lutz Richter of OHB / Munich , see both are the only persons responsible for European micro sampling tools development .

For LMO , I have many concepts for conducting deep soil drilling. Illustrated in hand drawings self explanatory in the attachments . Welcome to contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Happy to share my design concepts aiming at a compromised design for LMO ?
www.dropbox.com/s/29ehfqgwu20wn2m/LMO_.pdf?dl=0

Thanks TC Ng. Having looked at your Dropbox sketches you seem to have a few useful ideas. I am sure there will have to be some ongoing discussions on this topic. I have started a similar discussion in the Labs.
I think I mentioned before that a company in Exeter (UK) have some useful flexible drill technology that might work with some of your ideas. I am hoping to be able to go and see them soon.