Background
Future Mars missions will drill 10-m deep into permafrost to access stable ice deposits that may support life. Permafrost (frozen ground <0°C for 2+ years) has variable moisture or ice content influencing its cohesion. Unpredictable subsurface drilling conditions could impact mission success, making it essential for drills to perform under varying moisture and ice conditions. Our project objective was to design, build, and test low-mass drilling and borehole-sampling equipment to extract sandy to sandy mud sediment from boreholes up to 5-m-deep in planetary-analog environments—more than twice the depth currently achievable by Honeybee Robotics’ lunar TRIDENT rotary-percussive drill.
Approach
A prototype drill and sand/sandy-mud sediment-sampling system was developed using commercial hardware components to serve as the foundation for future sampling in similar Martian near-surface environments. The prototype included a battery-powered brushless motor, a drill stem comprised of five aluminum extensions to achieve up to 5m depth, and a sampling auger head with pilot drill bit. The design minimized lateral movement to minimize wall collapse and downhole sample mixing. The prototype was tested at SwRI’s aeolian Mars-analog field site, the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes in Kobuk Valley National Park, Interior arctic Alaska.
Accomplishments
During field tests, the team drilled 3 boreholes into a large sand dune and into its upwind interdune. Each 4+-m-deep dune borehole and each ~3-m-deep interdune borehole were drilled in about half the time required to drill their equivalents during the prior field season when using a manual, hand-driven auger. Improved penetration rates enabled drilling of 6 boreholes in September 2025, up from 4 in March 2025, reaching a maximum depth of 4.8m (an improvement of 25 cm). Maximum depth was limited by the team’s ability to lift the drill stem out of the borehole, suggesting future developments to enhance mechanical leverage. Borehole cave-ins were significantly reduced in number and size, with an average of 3.5 cm per instance in September 2025, compared to >12 cm per instance, previously.