Scale effect analysis for locomotion systems in different gravity fields

This paper presents surface exploration strategies for possible future asteroid missions. As a pioneer of the asteroid sample-return missions, Hayabusa was developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan, and launched in May 2003. Various technologies developed for Hayabusa will be useful for current and future exploration of minor bodies in our solar system. Because the gravitational force of an asteroid is very small, it is difficult for a spacecraft to stay on the asteroid surface stably; therefore, a touchdown sampling sequence was developed. A micro-rover for surface locomotion was also developed and deployed over the asteroid surface. This study investigates possible designs for a future locomotion system over the microgravity surface and compares different types of candidate grabbing forces as a function of the representative size.