Science objectives and rover design for a limbed comet rover mission concept

The ability to rove the surface of Mars has revolutionized NASA missions by providing access to multiple diverse in situ measurement and sampling sites. The ability to rove on the surface of a comet could create a similar revolutionary improvement in the quality and quantity of in situ science that could be performed in comparison to touch-and-go systems or static landers. However, due to the microgravity environment, traditional wheeled rovers are infeasible as they lack the ground pressure on their wheels necessary for traction. Recent breakthroughs in limbed robots both at JPL and broadly across the world provide hope that a reliable and robust climbing rover could be a priority mission in the next decade. Similar rapid development has been occurring in anchoring end effectors that would serve as the rovers feet, preventing the rover from escaping the microscopic gravity field. When sampling the subsurface (1-3 meter depth), these same anchoring feet would also react the forces and torques that are put into the surface. A mission concept is presented that would analyze unaltered primitive materials, catalog complex organic molecules, and document any organic synthesis still occurring. In addition, the mission would quantify the heterogeneity of the comet's chemical and physical properties. A potential instrument suite is proposed that would fulfill these objectives. The science campaign of this mission was developed in partnership with JPL's Innovation Foundry.