Results of Lunar PlanetVacTM, a pneumatic regolith sampling system deployed to the moon on Blue Ghost Mission 1

Abstract

PlanetVacTM is a pneumatic sampling technology designed to acquire and transfer regolith from planetary surfaces to instruments for in-situ analysis or storage on sample return missions. PlanetVacTM employs a robust, dust-tolerant pneumatic approach to overcome the challenges associated with robotic sample acquisition and delivery. Its primary advantages include fast operation with no human-in-the-loop requirement, gravity-agnostic operation, and low Size, Weight, and Power. PlanetVacTM offers a low-cost approach to regolith sampling and eliminates the need for a complex robotic arm. Lunar PlanetVacTM was deployed on the Moon’s Mare Crisium on March 2, 2025, as part of Blue Ghost Mission 1 (BGM1). Even though the sampling head was not deployed in its optimal configuration, PlanetVacTM successfully captured and size-sorted approximately 7 cm3 of lunar regolith during the first operation and approximately 11 cm3 cumulatively over four sampling operations, as confirmed by onboard imaging and optical sensors. It captured images of dusted material coupons and serendipitously cleaned external camera lenses. This first demonstration of pneumatic soil sampling on the Moon demonstrates the effectiveness of PlanetVacTM as a robust and efficient sample acquisition and delivery system that can be paired with a variety of future instruments for ISRU demonstrations, scientific research, and in sample return missions. This successful demonstration of PlanetVacTM on the Moon provides risk reduction for a Phobos-bound PlanetVacTM referred to as Pneumatic Sampler or P-Sampler. The P-Sampler would be used as part of the JAXA’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission to capture Phobos surface material for sample return.