Sizing and Analysis of VTOL Configurations for Mars and Titan using the PEACE Framework

Vertical takeoff and landing vehicles provide unique opportunities for scientific exploration of other planetary bodies such as Mars and Titan. However, the design characteristics and constraints for such vehicles designed for exploratory missions on Mars and Titan are driven by the significant differences in their atmospheric and gravitational characteristics relative to those on Earth. This paper demonstrates sizing and analysis of both winged and wingless multi-rotor vehicles for Mars and Titan environments using the Parametric Energy-based Aircraft Configuration Evaluator sizing framework. The results indicate that while both configurations are feasible in both environments, the lower gravity on Titan reduces energy consumption and enables greater trip distances and higher science payload capacity, while on Mars, despite its lower gravity, the extremely rarefied atmosphere significantly increases power demand, thereby constraining both trip distance and payload capacity.