5
$\begingroup$

According to a recent news announcement1, NASA is going to send a small helicopter to Mars for testing purposes. Future landers could carry more of these

future rotorcraft [that might] act as scouts and explore parts of Mars that rovers can't reach.

The article states the following about the initial deployment of the helicopter:

After landing, the rover will deposit its helicopter payload, then retreat to a safe distance while the rotorcraft take off.

If my understanding based upon what I have read is correct, the touchdown of landers is still a somewhat risky event, and new ways to protect landers from the impact on the surface are still an active topic of research. If so, could it be feasible to deploy the helicopter before the lander reaches the surface (thus evading the shock from the final impact), or does mid-air braking and stabilization pose an even greater problem for such a helicopter? (I assume putting some safety distance between the descending lander and the helicopter would be feasible by jettisoning the helicopter at a sufficiently divergent angle.)

1: I'm going to cite from the Washington Post article on the topic here, but many news outlets reported about this.

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
5
  • $\begingroup$ If there is a problem when the helicopter tries to take off from the ground, the controllers have time to try to deal with it. Not so much if you pitch it out in mid-air. $\endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    May 16, 2018 at 0:49
  • $\begingroup$ Consider the fact that nobody has attempted to do this on Earth, then think about how much more difficult it would be on Mars coming in from orbital speeds. $\endgroup$
    – Phiteros
    May 16, 2018 at 7:21
  • $\begingroup$ @Phiteros: "Consider the fact that nobody has attempted to do this on Earth" - I'd assume a major reason is our advantage that we don't have to land after coming in from orbital space before we reach the ground on Earth. $\endgroup$
    – O. R. Mapper
    May 16, 2018 at 8:41
  • $\begingroup$ What? Are you forgetting about all those trips up and down from the ISS? $\endgroup$
    – Phiteros
    May 18, 2018 at 6:37
  • $\begingroup$ @Phiteros: Not at all. What I meant is: If we want to let a helicopter fly here on Earth, there are more convenient ways than transporting it into orbit, then having it return from there in a spacecraft, and figure out when and how to deploy it from that spacecraft and how to protect it during the landing of that spacecraft. $\endgroup$
    – O. R. Mapper
    May 18, 2018 at 6:41

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
6
$\begingroup$

It’s possible, but far too risky to be called feasible.

In theory, the concept is no different from previous missions that have used an aeroshell / parachute to slow to reasonable speeds then switched to a different system such as airbags or skycrane for landing. Rockets need decent stabilization for a successful landing too. However, there are a few practical issues.

  • No opportunity for system checks or troubleshooting, particularly important for a first experimental vehicle. Suppose the batteries turn out to be flat on deployment. If safely on the ground, you have the option to let them charge and continue the mission the next day. That is a little harder to fix in the ten seconds before you encounter the ground at high velocity.

  • Radios capable of interplanetary or even satellite communication tend to be large and power hungry, and a helicopter in thin air has a very limited payload. Some of the antennas on the rover are larger than the entire helicopter. Regardless of the landing system used, you’re going to need a safely landed rover so you can stick to the scale of parts found in consumer drones.

  • A small unpowered helicopter is quite similar to a parachute - both will float down slowly and be blown about by the wind. That doesn’t make it impossible to separate from a parachute, but it does significantly increase the risk of entanglement.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
4
$\begingroup$

As an addendum to the other answers, starting a helicopter or drone from a freefall can be a recipe for disaster as this is the easiest way to enter VRS or Vortex Ring State in which the propeller is surrounded by a torus of air and looses basically all thrust.

Entering VRS typically occurs when a helicopter decends in it's own downwash and is one of the most dangerous position for it to be in.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
3
$\begingroup$

In addition to the other answer:

The spacecraft approaches the landing site at high speed, and needs rocket engines (with far higher thrust than any helicopter rotor) to slow down for a safe landing.
A helicopter separating at high speed won't have enough thrust to slow to a hover before it hits the ground.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
3
  • $\begingroup$ Then why not slow down first, then separate the helicopter, and then have the main probe glide the remaining distance to the ground on a parachutes? $\endgroup$
    – O. R. Mapper
    Feb 6, 2021 at 13:13
  • $\begingroup$ Because parachutes on Mars are very inefficient due to the low density: you'd need a huge parachute, which is heavy. It's better to use rockets to decelerate. Detaching the helicopter while the rockets are running is more risky than landing with the helicopter on board. $\endgroup$
    – Hobbes
    Feb 6, 2021 at 13:21
  • $\begingroup$ I see, good ppint. $\endgroup$
    – O. R. Mapper
    Feb 6, 2021 at 13:29

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.