Exploration of Hermean Polar Ice

HERMES, High-speed Extraction and Retrieval for Mercury’s Extraterrestrial Samples, aims to land the first planet-side based mission to Mercury and perform an all-in-one sample return mission to collect ice samples from the Northern pole of the planet. With only two missions to date, Mercury is a world that is riddled by mystery and is believed to provide key insight into the creation of our universe. The main goal of the mission is to travel from Earth to Mercury, land a series of landers along the permanently shaded Northen pole of Mercury, collect ice samples from a variety of locations, finally returning them to the orbiting spacecraft and then back to Earth, all while completing it along a short timeframe. This mission would be the first of its kind in not only one, but two capacities; it would be the first all-in-one sample collection as well as the first to operate primarily planet-side on Mercury. By being the first to establish a mission on the surface, it would provide a more in-depth understanding of the planet’s magnetosphere, exosphere, and ice deposits. Mercury’s surface minerals hold a unique look into the early solar system creation as they have remained untouched. HERMES is made up of four main systems: a launch vehicle, a main orbiting module, a lander array, and ascent modules. By utilizing the four distinct systems, each piece will have its own goals and objectives to help accomplish an in-situ sample return. The use of multiple landers within the array provides a viable redundancy that gives variety in samples as well as lowers the risk of a mission failure, all while providing a fast timeframe. This system aims to implement a power efficient “Grab & Go” mission concept to minimize the exposure time to Mercury’s harsh temperature and radiation conditions. Given that commercial solutions are less feasible for enduring these conditions, this design has the capability to fulfill their mission within hours, allowing for a quick timeframe before the samples return back to Earth. Following the establishment of the designated orbit around Mercury using the main orbiting module, the separation phase of the mission shall commence. In sequence, each lander will separate from the orbiter, complete a lower orbiting maneuver, and make a final descent to the surface. Spread out across the northern pole, each lander will be deployed in an optimized sequence which will ensure unique landing spots while allowing for an organized rendezvous phase. Upon a successful landing, HERMES will immediately transition into its Science and Experiment Phase. Within each landing area, each lander will utilize its onboard core drilling system to collect samples from the surface of Mercury at depths of 10 cm, 50 cm, and 100 cm, respectively. Each sample will be placed within a cryocooler located within the ascent module to preserve the original pressure and temperature conditions. Once the sample collection has been completed, each lander will initiate preparations for an ascent to rendezvous with the orbiting spacecraft. Following the successful docking of each lander, HERMES can conduct its final checkups before embarking on its deep space journey back to Earth. An all-in-one sample collection structure creates an architecture that can precede a novel style of mission; ones that can travel to their designated destinations, collect samples, and return them to Earth on a quicker timescale. With adjustments to the number of landers, environmental protection systems, and sample collection, the landers can be modified to fit any planet that has a surface that is solid enough to land on with no atmosphere. In addition, by producing a quicker timescale, it offers a lower cost in power budgets and reduces the need for costly and extensive environmental protection. On our designated planet of Mercury, and location of a permanently shaded region, this is important as temperatures average around –170 degrees Celsius with no atmosphere to protect from the Suns harsh radiation.