Mechanical Analysis and Structure Optimization of Lunar Soil 
Coring Mechanism 
Qiuyi Fang
1,*
 Qin Zhou
2
, Jianguo Lv
2
 and Jing Wang
3
 
1
Sergeant school of CAPF; #377 Tianmu Shan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 
2
China University of Geosciences, Beijing; #29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 
3
Sinomine Resource Exploration
;
#11 Changchunqiao Road, Haidian District, Beijing 
Email: fangxiaoqiu@126.com  
Keywords:  Coring mechanism, mechanical model, bedding information-keeping, structure optimization 
Abstract:  The soft bag lunar soil coring mechanism of turning inward type without sliding has the characteristics of 
simple structure, low power dissipation and well regolith bedding information-keeping. However, at the 
initial coring stage, the large pulling force and torque, which are resulted from the spiral movement of lunar 
soil around bit when it enters the holding-pipe, can consequently cause high power dissipation and bad 
regolith bedding information-keeping. In the paper, in order to achieve the goal of the minimum of pulling 
force and torque, a mechanical model representing the interaction of lunar soil on coring mechanism was 
established to analyze effects of structural parameters and drilling parameters on the pulling force and 
torque. The structural parameters of coring mechanism and drilling parameters were optimized. The results 
show that soft bag thickness and guide head radius have the greater impact on the pulling force and on the 
torque respectively. When the guide head radius is 0.5mm and the soft bag thickness is 0.2mm, the rope 
pulling force can reach its optimal value of 89N, which can greatly reduce the degree of torsion in the 
process of coring. 
1    INTRODUCTION 
Probing the moon’s material composition has great 
significance on studying the origin of the moon and 
the earth, the earth's climate, and the phenomena of 
tidal waters. Drilling and sampling the surface of the 
moon are prerequisite for achieving this research 
work (Yan et al., 2004). 
There have been some successful sampling 
precedents of lunar soil abroad, however, coring 
methods and working mechanism of deep lunar soil 
coring domestically are still staying at theoretical 
and experimental research stage. In the Apollo 
program, for example, the core was extracted using a 
cemented carbide tube (The Apollo 17 mission” on 
http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/history/apollo/). This 
device for sampling cores was easily operated but 
with poor bedding information (Berry, 1970). In the 
Luna24 program, the soft bag coring mechanism of 
turning inward type was initially applied and the 
core of 250cm depth can be successfully extracted 
with good bedding information-keeping 
(http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/Luna/Luna.php). Due 
to its good performance, such a turning inward type 
device will be a great potential, which is well worth 
being researched (Zhang, 2010). Some domestic 
scientific research units, such as Beijing Satellite 
Manufacturing Factory, Harbin Institute of 
Technology and China University of Geosciences, 
are also carrying out some researches (Duan et al., 
2009). In terms of mechanical model, the mechanics 
characterizes of the drill (Li, 2012), the bit 0 Tang, 
2012) and other structural joints have been mainly 
analyzed (Liu, 2011). The interaction among the 
inner parts of the core body, such as the soft bag, the 
holding-pipe, the drill rod and the lunar soil, in the 
drilling process is rarely analyzed. Little information 
is available. In the analysis of lunar soil coring 
mechanism mechanics characterizes,Wang Guoxin 
and others, from Beijing Satellite Manufacturing 
Factory,using a simplified mechanical model, has 
not considered the influence of the speed when soft 
bag turning in (Zhao et al., 2012). The effect of soft 
bag turning on regolith bedding information-keeping 
was not analyzed either (Wang, 2012). Although the 
researchers of Harbin Institute of Technology have a 
comprehensive study on the coring mechanism, the 
influence of the structural parameters and drilling 
parameters on sampling is not studied