Smart material/actuator needs in extreme environments in space

Future missions to the planets and moons in our Solar System may require new technology. Missions with surface or atmospheric mobility or sample acquisition requirements will need advanced actuation technology to operate in the extreme environments found in the Solar System. Depending on the specific mission this technology may be required to withstand 10’s of Kelvin environments or temperatures exceeding that of Venus (460C). In addition the technology may have to withstand high radiation and corrosive environments and pressures ranging from high vacuum to 100’s of MPa. These challenging mission requirements push the limit in performance even under terrestrial conditions. Motors for mobility platforms, deployment devices or actuators for sampling tools are required that can operate reliably and deliver substantial torque and power. These devices must be lightweight, compact and operate effectively under extreme conditions. This paper will focus on a range of actuators based on electromechanical materials used for the applications discussed above and will present some of the challenges of developing these systems for space applications.