JPL, Attn: Thomas May, Mail Stop 190-205, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA 91109-8099

A -- DESIGN, FABRICATE & TEST REQUIREMENTS FOR ANCHOR DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM FOR JPL CHAMPOLLION/DS4 LANDER SOL 99/9 DUE 030899 POC Andre Stefanovich (818) 354-4693; FAX (818) 393-9372 E-MAIL: Champollion Expression of Interest, Andre.T.Stefanovich@jpl.nasa.gov. The California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), operating under a prime contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), seek interested firms to design, fabricate, and test requirements for an Anchor Deployment System (ADS) for the Champollion/DS4 Lander. This effort will be used in the landing and anchoring of the Champollion/ST4 Lander on the surface of the comet Tempel 1. The principle elements of the system are the gas generator, cartridge chamber, piston, and release mechanism. After studying the nucleus from orbit, the spacecraft will send a small vehicle (a lander) to the surface. Because the gravity of the comet nucleus is so weak, the lander must be anchored to the surface to permit drilling and sampling. The design of the lander anchoring system consists of a "spike" plus three telescoping tubes joined by swaging the "collision ring" section of each tube, allowing the spike to extend up to three (3) meters. The system is triggered by a passive firing contact switch that senses the proximity of the comet surface. The 1.5 kg spike, connected to the piston, will be accelerated to a velocity of approximately 150m/s by the ADS. At the end of the piston stroke, the spike will break free and continue traveling, while the piston will be trapped by the chamber forming a seal to preclude leakage and minimize any contamination of the comet surface. Meanwhile, a release device allows the entire ADS to act as a reaction mass in order to reduce the shock felt by the lander. JPL requests that interested firms, which have a capability to fulfill the requirement synopsized herein, provide a written expression of interest to JPL, Attn: Andre Stefanovich, Mail Stop 201-203, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 no later than March 8, 1999. This not a Request for Proposal (RFP). No additional information is available at this time; therefore, telephone inquires will not be honored. Posted 02/09/99 (W-SN296459). (0040)

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