Drill during test

This 'biomimetic' drill for planetary surfaces borrows its approach from the way the wood wasp burrows into trees to lay its eggs. Shown here during testing in very fine soil (SSC2), the drill was developed by Surrey Space Centre in the UK and France's Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE), with the backing of ESA's Networking/Partnering Initiative.