The Mobile Regolith Auger

The first step of moving any kind of soil, earthly or lunar, is to start with a method. A common way to dig is with an auger. A screw machine with a pointed end that digs by rotating to deepen itself. This design could dig up sub-surface regolith that may have resources such as ice-water. When the regolith moves up the auger, it enters a part of the auger that is encased, so no regolith is lost. After, it moves into another encased screw structure that brings it to an angled container inside the rover. At the end of the container is a small door that can open and let out it’s contents to an area back at base. To protect the motors and electrical, all parts of the rover are fully encased in tubing, are inside the rover itself, or easily accessible for cleaning if needed (such as motors).