Mars Sample Recovery Helicopter

Last updated

Mars Sample Recovery Helicopter [1]
Part of NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return
PIA25338 Three models of Mars helicopter.jpg
Artist's drawing showing one of the Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters collecting Mars 2020 sample tubes from depot while Mars Science Helicopter and Ingenuity are seen flying over Mars
Type Extraterrestrial autonomous UAV helicopter
Owner NASA
Manufacturer Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Specifications
Dimensions131 cm × 49 cm × 52 cm (52 in × 19 in × 20 in) [2]
Dry mass2.26 kg (5.0 lb)
Power6 Solar-charged Sony VTC-4 Li ion batteries; typical engine input power: 350 watt [3]
History
Deployed
  • 2030
  • from Mars Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) (planned)
    • Maximum speed: 18 km/h (11 mph, 9.7 kn)
    • Range: 0.700 km (0.435 mi, 0.378 nmi)
    • Service ceiling: 20 m (66 ft)
    • Rate of climb: 5.5 m/s (1,080 ft/min)
    • Rate of sink: 1 m/s (200 ft/min)
NASA Mars helicopters
←  Ingenuity

The Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters are a pair of robotic unmanned helicopters being developed by the engineers of the American company AeroVironment Inc. and proposed in March 2022 as a means of delivering Martian soil samples from the sample depots made by the Perseverance rover to the location of the Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) that will load these samples onto the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), which, in accordance with the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return program, will deliver them to low Martian orbit for future return to Earth. [4]

Contents

In January 2024, a related proposed NASA plan had been challenged due to budget and scheduling considerations, and a newer overhaul plan undertaken. [5]

Background of the project

While the Perseverance rover collects and caches samples on Mars, scientists and technicians at JPL are developing helicopters that will retrieve them. The plan flashed in June 2022, when MSR campaign needed a helicopter to recover sample tubes this bring the sample recovery helicopters into play.

Design

Mars sample return architecture revised Mars sample return architecture revised.png
Mars sample return architecture revised
Mars sample return helicopter concept Mars Samples return helicopters.jpg
Mars sample return helicopter concept

The Martian Sample recovery helicopters are being developed by AeroVironment, Inc. based on technology they previously demonstrated on the Ingenuity coaxial helicopter as a part of NASA's Perseverance rover. Unlike the Ingenuity "technology demonstrator", the Sample Return Helicopters will have ~10 centimetres (3.9 in) longer rotors with 3500 rpm, [6] will have a payload capacity of 280 g (9.9 oz), a small manipulator arm with a two-fingered gripper, and self-propelled, wheeled landing gear (each being ~2 cm (0.79 in) wide, with an outer diameter of ~10 cm (3.9 in)), enabling them to roll up, grab a sample, and fly to the return vehicle. [7]

Key components were modified based on lessons learned from Ingenuity. Flight aspects, including speed, flight time, range are the same as it is on Ingenuity. The power-to-weight ratio of the device will increase, for which the area of the solar panel and the capacity of the batteries will be increased. The control system of the upper screw will be somewhat simplified, and the engine power will increase. The overall dimensions of the helicopter will be slightly larger. In total, it is planned to send two such machines to Mars. [8] Along with this, high performance processors enabling autonomy, unprecedented mobility through both flying and driving, and a true manipulation capability with a robot hand, can enable much more than sample tube retrieval. [9]

A Sample Recovery Helicopter model testing its wheels, an element absent in Ingenuity

The helicopters will have a range of 700 m (2,300 ft), but plans call for the lander to be within 50 m (160 ft) of the "depot" where the samples will be deposited. Each sample tube is about 150 grams. [10] [11]

Concept

An artist's impression of an Ingenuity-class sample retriever campaign MSR-Helicopter 20102022 ASU.png
An artist's impression of an Ingenuity-class sample retriever campaign

The intermediate transportation of the collected samples on the surface of Mars was initially undertaken by the European Space Agency (ESA), which included this project in its ExoMars program. The Mars 2020 mission landed the Perseverance rover, which is storing samples to be returned to Earth later. However, due to repeated postponements, already in November 2021, NASA came to the need to postpone the delivery of samples and assess the risks inherent in the delivery scheme itself in July 2022. The decision was based on the success of Ingenuity.

The NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission will not include the ESA Sample Fetch Rover and its associated second lander, but instead use a single lander carrying the helicopters and the ascent rocket that will take the samples to an orbiter, from where they will be launched back to Earth. Mission planners intend that Perseverance itself will retrieve samples that it previously cached on the surface and drive them to the ascent rocket, given its expected longevity. The helicopters, which will be slightly heavier than Ingenuity, would be used as a backup if Perseverance would be unable to perform the task. [12]

Sample retrieval process

Recovering a sample will span over four sols (Martian day). On the first sol, it will fly from the vicinity of SRL to a landing site a few meters away from a sample tube. On the next sol, the helicopter will drive to that tube and grab it using its tiny robotic arm. On the third sol, it will return to SRL, and on the last of the four sols its drives into position and releases the sample tube so that the lander's ESA-built sample transfer arm can place the tube onto the sample return canister on board the Mars Ascent Vehicle placed on its deck. [13]

The Sample Recovery Helicopters would take off and land at predetermined sites, or helipads, that have been found suitable and safe, and would use in-flight, map-based navigation to reach the known locations of sample tubes left on the surface. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars rover</span> Robotic vehicle for Mars surface exploration

A Mars rover is a remote-controlled motor vehicle designed to travel on the surface of Mars. Rovers have several advantages over stationary landers: they examine more territory, they can be directed to interesting features, they can place themselves in sunny positions to weather winter months, and they can advance the knowledge of how to perform very remote robotic vehicle control. They serve a different purpose than orbital spacecraft like Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. A more recent development is the Mars helicopter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exploration of Mars</span>

The planet Mars has been explored remotely by spacecraft. Probes sent from Earth, beginning in the late 20th century, have yielded a large increase in knowledge about the Martian system, focused primarily on understanding its geology and habitability potential. Engineering interplanetary journeys is complicated and the exploration of Mars has experienced a high failure rate, especially the early attempts. Roughly sixty percent of all spacecraft destined for Mars failed before completing their missions, with some failing before their observations could begin. Some missions have been met with unexpected success, such as the twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which operated for years beyond their specification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars sample-return mission</span> Mars mission to collect rock and dust samples

A Mars sample-return (MSR) mission is a proposed mission to collect rock and dust samples on Mars and return them to Earth. Such a mission would allow more extensive analysis than that allowed by onboard sensors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human mission to Mars</span> Proposed concepts

The idea of sending humans to Mars has been the subject of aerospace engineering and scientific studies since the late 1940s as part of the broader exploration of Mars. Long-term proposals have included sending settlers and terraforming the planet. Currently, only robotic landers and rovers have been on Mars. The farthest humans have been beyond Earth is the Moon, under the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Apollo program which ended in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars landing</span> Landing of a spacecraft on the surface of Mars

A Mars landing is a landing of a spacecraft on the surface of Mars. Of multiple attempted Mars landings by robotic, uncrewed spacecraft, ten have had successful soft landings. There have also been studies for a possible human mission to Mars including a landing, but none have been attempted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jezero (crater)</span> Crater on Mars

Jezero is a crater on Mars in the Syrtis Major quadrangle, about 45.0 km (28.0 mi) in diameter. Thought to have once been flooded with water, the crater contains a fan-delta deposit rich in clays. The lake in the crater was present when valley networks were forming on Mars. Besides having a delta, the crater shows point bars and inverted channels. From a study of the delta and channels, it was concluded that the lake inside the crater probably formed during a period in which there was continual surface runoff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher</span> Cancelled NASA Mars rover concept

The Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C), also known as Mars 2018 mission, was a NASA concept for a Mars rover mission, proposed to be launched in 2018 together with the European ExoMars rover. The MAX-C rover concept was cancelled in April 2011 due to budget cuts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars aircraft</span> Unmanned space aircraft

A Mars aircraft is a vehicle capable of sustaining powered flight in the atmosphere of Mars. So far, the Mars helicopter Ingenuity is the only aircraft ever to fly on Mars, completing 72 successful flights covering 17.242 km (10.714 mi) in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 48 seconds of flight time. Ingenuity operated on Mars for 1042 sols, until it was retired following rotor blade damage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mars 2020</span> Astrobiology Mars rover mission by NASA

Mars 2020 is a NASA mission that includes the rover Perseverance, the now-retired small robotic helicopter Ingenuity, and associated delivery systems, as part of the Mars Exploration Program. Mars 2020 was launched on an Atlas V rocket at 11:50:01 UTC on July 30, 2020, and landed in the Martian crater Jezero on February 18, 2021, with confirmation received at 20:55 UTC. On March 5, 2021, NASA named the landing site Octavia E. Butler Landing. As of 30 October 2024, Perseverance has been on Mars for 1314 sols. Ingenuity operated on Mars for 1042 sols before sustaining serious damage to its rotor blades, possibly all four, causing NASA to retire the craft on January 25, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Next Mars Orbiter</span> Proposed NASA Mars communications satellite

The Next Mars Orbiter is a proposed NASA Mars communications satellite with high-resolution imaging payload and two solar-electric ion thrusters.

<i>Ingenuity</i> (helicopter) Retired NASA helicopter on the Mars 2020 mission

Ingenuity, nicknamed Ginny, is an autonomous NASA helicopter that operated on Mars from 2021 to 2024 as part of the Mars 2020 mission. Ingenuity made its first flight on 19 April 2021, demonstrating that flight is possible in the extremely thin atmosphere of Mars, and becoming the first aircraft to conduct a powered and controlled extra-terrestrial flight. It was designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in collaboration with AeroVironment, NASA's Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center with some components supplied by Lockheed Martin Space, Qualcomm, and SolAero.

<i>Perseverance</i> (rover) NASA Mars rover deployed in 2021

Perseverance, nicknamed Percy, is a car-sized Mars rover designed to explore the Jezero crater on Mars as part of NASA's Mars 2020 mission. It was manufactured by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and launched on July 30, 2020, at 11:50 UTC. Confirmation that the rover successfully landed on Mars was received on February 18, 2021, at 20:55 UTC. As of 30 October 2024, Perseverance has been active on Mars for 1314 sols since its landing. Following the rover's arrival, NASA named the landing site Octavia E. Butler Landing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Mars 2020</span> Event timeline of the NASA Mars 2020 mission

The Mars 2020 mission, consisting of the rover Perseverance and helicopter Ingenuity, was launched on July 30, 2020, and landed in Jezero crater on Mars on February 18, 2021. As of October 30, 2024, Perseverance has been on the planet for 1314 sols. Ingenuity operated for 1042 sols until its rotor blades, possibly all four, were damaged during the landing of flight 72 on January 18, 2024, causing NASA to retire the craft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Håvard Fjær Grip</span> Norwegian cybernetics engineer

Håvard Fjær Grip is a Norwegian cybernetics engineer and robotics technologist. He was the chief pilot of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, and led the development of its aerodynamics and flight control system. Grip successfully flew Ingenuity's first flight on Mars on April 19, 2021, which made history as the first extraterrestrial helicopter flight. As of October 2023, he is chief engineer of the Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters, part of the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return campaign.

Tianwen-3 is a planned Mars sample-return mission by China which would send two spacecraft via two separate launches to Mars. Together, the two spacecraft will seek to obtain samples of Martian rocks and soil and then return the cached samples to Earth. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2028.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return</span> Proposed Mars sample return mission

The NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return is a proposed Flagship-class Mars sample return (MSR) mission to collect Martian rock and soil samples in 43 small, cylindrical, pencil-sized, titanium tubes and return them to Earth around 2033.

References

  1. 1 2 mars.nasa.gov. "Sample Recovery Helicopters – NASA". mars.nasa.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  2. ↑ mars.nasa.gov (November 22, 2023). "NASA Uses Two Worlds to Test Future Mars Helicopter Designs". NASA Mars Exploration. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  3. ↑ PD-icon.svg One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : "Mars Helicopter". Mars.nasa.gov. NASA. Archived from the original on April 16, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  4. ↑ Pipenberg, Benjamin T.; Langberg, Sara A.; Tyler, Jeremy D.; Keennon, Matthew T. (March 2022). "Conceptual Design of a Mars Rotorcraft for Future Sample Fetch Missions". 2022 IEEE Aerospace Conference (AERO). pp. 01–14. doi:10.1109/AERO53065.2022.9843820. ISBN   978-1-66543-760-8. S2CID   251473077.
  5. ↑ David, Leopnard (January 15, 2024). "NASA's troubled Mars sample-return mission has scientists seeing red - Projected multibillion-dollar overruns have some calling the agency's plan a 'dumpster fire.'". Space.com . Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  6. ↑ mars.nasa.gov (November 22, 2023). "NASA Uses Two Worlds to Test Future Mars Helicopter Designs". NASA Mars Exploration. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  7. ↑ Foust, Jeff (July 27, 2022). "NASA and ESA remove rover from Mars Sample Return plans". Spacenews. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  8. ↑ "News Briefing: NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Investigates Geologically Rich Area (Sept. 15, 2022)". YouTube . September 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  9. ↑ Laboratory, Bob Balaram, Chief Engineer for the Mars Helicopter Project at NASA's Jet Propulsion. "Mars Helicopters – The 4R's – NASA". mars.nasa.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Smith, Marcia (July 27, 2022). "NASA, ESA Change Course on Mars Sample Return". Spacepolicyonline.com. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  11. ↑ Marcia Smith [@SpcPlcyOnline] (July 27, 2022). "The helicopters will have a range..." (Tweet). Retrieved August 1, 2022– via Twitter.
  12. ↑ Potter, Sean (July 27, 2022). "NASA Will Inspire World When It Returns Mars Samples to Earth in 2033". NASA.
  13. ↑ "Perseverance prepares to deposit Mars sample cache". December 18, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.