NASA Psyche Capstone: In-Situ Resource Utilization for Hypothesized Surfaces

We would like to be considered for placement in the Gordon Field House. We will be demoing a prototype of an asteroid sample collection system that includes a claw with vertical and horizontal movement and a cylindrical collection system to sort the collected material by size. We will also discuss what the conditions of the Psyche asteroid are and how our system would operate in the asteroid's environment. Project Problem Statement: The Psyche asteroid is a metal-rich asteroid orbiting the sun at 235-309 million miles. Psyche is an M-type asteroid discovered in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis. The NASA Psyche mission, which launched in October 2023, looks to orbit the Psyche, but not land. Future missions will likely be launched to explore the surface of the asteroid. This project aims to analyze the current understanding of the Psyche asteroid surface and materials to identify opportunities to save future missions to Psyche on mass and costs, through means such as identifying material types via mechanical, electrical, or imaging systems. As well as potentially forwarding the development of in-situ fabrication technology for efficient and effective fabrication of tools, parts, and more aspects of future robotic surface exploration missions. The expected product is a functional prototype that can be integrated into future Psyche exploration missions and marketed as a mass and cost-saving measure. The final design and prototype will need to be consistent with intellectual property and be capable of functioning in a space-like environment on a celestial surface to be a competitive product for future missions to Psyche.