G&H Technology`s Model 8009 pin puller, originally designed for the NASA Viking Mars Lander, will become part of the drilling equipment that takes core samples of the Martian soil during NASA`s 2003 mission to Mars.
Experts at NASA`s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., are using the device from G&H in Camarillo, Calif., to disconnect the drill bit remotely if it snags, jams, or sticks in the Martian rock. This would free the Mars rover — on which the drill is mounted — to proceed with other phases of the mission.
The Model 8009 is a one-use device with a special mounting plate. The device requires only 5 amps for 15 milliseconds for actuation to occur. It has a shaft spring force of 14 pounds when armed and 5 pounds when expended. It has a shaft stroke of .150 inches and weighs 1.5 ounces. — J.M.
For more information on the Model 8009 pin puller or G&H Technology contact Brian Davies by phone at 805-484-0543, by fax at 805-987-5062, by mail at G&H Technology Inc., 750 W. Ventura Blvd., Camarillo, Calif. 93010, by e-mail at [email protected], or on the World Wide Web at http://www.ghtech.com.
