It’s Rocket Science: Testing PlanetVac in the Mojave Desert

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

The Planetary Society

Technology, Science

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2018

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Join Mat Kaplan in California’s Mojave Desert for special coverage of not one but two rocket flights and a real world test of PlanetVac, the innovative, radically simple way to collect surface samples from other worlds. PlanetVac replaced one foot of a Masten Space Systems Xodiac rocket for back-to-back hops across a test site. We also talk with Masten CEO Sean Mahoney. Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts also made the trip. He’ll also open a super massive contest for PlanRad listeners in our What’s Up segment. See images and video of the PlanetVac Xodiac flight test and learn more here: http://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-radio/show/2018/0606-planetvac-xodiac-test.htmlLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Join me in the Mojave Desert for a test of PlanetVac, this week on Planetary Radio.
0:07.0	Welcome, I'm at Kaplan of the Planetary Society with more of the human adventure across our solar system and beyond, and with a special episode this week.
0:20.0	Did you hear our March 7 show that introduced PlanetVac?
0:24.8	Bruce Betts and I visited Honeybee robotics where this innovative and radically simple way
0:29.6	to collect sample material from the surface of another world was invented.
0:34.9	But even the cleverest invention is worthless unless it can prove itself in the real world.
0:40.8	On May 17th, Bruce and I set out for the Mojave 90 miles due north of Planetary Society
0:46.8	headquarters in Pasadena, California.
0:49.7	Our destination was Maston Space Systems, where a fully functioning Planet Vac unit has replaced a foot of Maston's Zodiac rocket.
0:59.0	Founded in 2004 by Dave Maston, the small company won the Northrop Grumman Lunar X Challenge in 2009 through
1:07.0	the precision flying of its Zoe rocket. Nine more years have passed, Maston now has the Zodiac vehicle, that's Zodiac with an X.
1:17.0	The Zodiac has flown five times in a single day.
1:20.0	It's part of Mastin's progress toward the XL1 rocket that will be capable of landing 100
1:27.0	kilogram payloads on the moon.
1:30.0	Actually the Zodiac that Bruce and I went to see has had all four of its feet replaced by
1:34.3	PlanetVac hardware but only one of these was connected to the gas supply that
1:38.8	enabled it to suck up or rather blow loose Mars simulant material into a small sample container.
1:46.2	Bruce and I arrived at the Mojave Air and Spaceport shortly after 7 a.m.
1:50.8	Soon we were standing in what Maston calls its aviary the high bay
1:55.1	where rockets are assembled and tested short of actually igniting the engine.
1:59.3	Launch coordinator Rubin Garcia was about to begin a safety briefing for the rocket crew and
2:05.0	assorted guests, including a video crew and other representatives from NASA and the Planetary Society's
	...

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