Research/ PLANETARY ROBOTICS
Mars Science Helicopter Rotor Geometry
Witold J F Koning, Michelle Dominguez, Wayne Johnson
Surface Mobility & TerramechanicsNTRS keyword: Helicopter
NTRSLunar and Planetary Science and Exploration · Aircraft Design, Testing and Performance
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA Ames Research Center are exploring possibilities for a Mars Science Helicopter (MSH), a second-generation Mars rotorcraft designed to conduct science investigations independently of a lander or rover. The goal of the MSH concept design is to establish the feasibility of flying a larger, more capable rotorcraft on Mars, with a payload of two to three kg and an overall vehicle mass of approximately twenty kg. This report documents the geometry (including planform, twist, and airfoils) of the MSH (hexacopter configuration) rotor, for use in future research on rotor performance in the Mars atmosphere.