Conceptual Design of a System for Mars Exploration - A Coaxial Mars Helicopter to Carry 1kg of Science Payload and Packaged in an Accommodation Enclosure

The success of the Ingenuity program has shown that aerial vehicles are key enablers of future exploration on Mars. As a technology demonstration, Ingenuity had limited dedicated science capabilities, with internal flight sensors and just two cameras, but has proven more valuable to the planetary science community than expected. Making helicopters more capable allows them to carry larger, specialized science payloads and perform more complex missions. However, the feasibility of future Mars helicopter missions may require simplifying the helicopter system to save both schedule and mission cost, as well as providing missions planners an easier means of integrating a helicopter with their spacecraft. This paper will detail the point design of a modular, self-contained helicopter with its own accommodation enclosure that has system mass of approximately 35 kg. The enclosure deploys a helicopter capable of delivering up to 1 kg payload capacity, 2.5-minute flights, and greater than 1.2 km range. General mission concepts for how a helicopter of this size could be utilized or could be resized appropriately for different mission concepts are also presented.