UNMET NEED
Exploring beneath the surfaces of the Moon, Mars, and remote Earth locations presents critical challenges for mining and construction purposes. Traditional geotechnical tools are too bulky and heavy for space missions, with costs escalating into the hundreds of thousands for transportation alone. Furthermore, the low gravity environments of celestial bodies diminish the effectiveness of these heavy rigs, which rely on their own weight and reaction forces for stability and drilling effectiveness. On Earth, similar challenges exist in remote or difficult-to-access areas where the logistics of transporting and assembling heavy drilling equipment are challenging in terms of feasibility, timely delivery, and costs. This situation highlights a pressing need for innovative solutions to access subsurface layers efficiently in both extraterrestrial and remote terrestrial environments.
