M-Type Asteroid Sampling Simulator – Core Informant: Psyche
INSTITUTION
Arizona State University (ASU)
CLASS
Iridium Class (2024 – 2025)
STUDENT TEAM
ACADEMIC GUIDANCE
Prasad Mahalpure
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Developed in the Unity game engine, this simulation was designed and implemented by a team of five software engineering students from Arizona State University. It presents a visionary concept for the future of surface exploration on 16 Psyche—a potentially metal-rich asteroid located between Mars and Jupiter. Created in collaboration with researchers from the current NASA Psyche mission, the simulation explores theoretical sampling techniques that may one day be used in asteroid surface exploration.
The environment features five distinct theoretical zones, each modeled to represent a variety of topographical terrains: the floor of a crater, the ridge of an impact zone, the edge of a rift, a broad plain, and a highlands region. Within each zone, the mission objective is to collect four unique samples for eventual laboratory analysis.
To achieve this, the rover is equipped with a combination of legacy and conceptual sampling tools. The Claw, a simple hinged bucket, is used to capture surface material.
The Archimedes’ Screw, originally a water transport device and redesigned by previous ASU mechanical engineering students, operates by rotating perpendicular to the surface to lift regolith into a collection container.
The Touch-and-Go mechanism, also prototyped by ASU mechanical engineering students, is inspired by the OSIRIS-REx mission. This futuristic tool targets a sampling site, impacts the terrain with controlled force, and captures ejected particles using an automated collection system before ascending.
Finally, the CHIMRA (Collection and Handling for In-situ Martian Rock Analysis) tool, adapted from NASA’s Curiosity rover, is employed to scoop, sieve, and transport samples for analysis within the rover’s internal laboratory.
This simulation serves not only as an educational platform but also as a speculative exploration of how future missions might approach extraterrestrial material sampling on metallic asteroids.
