Magnetic Grapples for Asteroid Exploration
The regolith covering most asteroids has high magnetic susceptibility, and thus it can be physically manipulated with a magnetic field. In the low-g surface environment, magnetic grapples could anchor landers, mobilize robots, or enable highly efficient sample collection.
Two “Clockwork Starfish” magnetic regolith sampling prototypes just prior to flying to suborbital space for testing.
As part of the Project ESPRESSO SSERVI Node, I am developing and testing magnetic anchors and sampling systems for asteroid surfaces. These include the Clockwork Starfish regolith sampling microsatellite demonstrators that flew into space on a Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital rocket in October of 2020.