JPL Mars Helicopter

The Mars Helicopter Scout (MHS) is a planned robotic helicopter that tests the technology to scout interesting targets for study on Mars, and it helps plan the best driving route for future Mars rovers. The Mars Helicopter Scout (MHS) is a technology demonstrator by JPL that assesses whether this technology can fly safely. It provides better mapping and guidance that would give future mission controllers more information to help with travel routes planning and hazard avoidance, as well as identifying points of interest for the rover. The helicopter provides overhead images with approximately ten times greater resolution than orbital images, and displays features that may be occluded from the rover cameras. This technology forms the foundation on which more capable helicopters can be developed for aerial exploration of Mars and other planetary targets with an atmosphere.

The helicopter uses counter-rotating coaxial rotors about 1.1 m in diameter. Its payload is a high resolution downward-looking camera for navigation, landing, and science surveying of the terrain, and a communication system to relay data to the Mars rover. Although it is an aircraft, it is being constructed as a spacecraft in order to endure the gravitational force and vibration during launch. It also includes radiation-resistant systems capable of operating in the frigid environment of Mars. The inconsistent Mars magnetic field precludes the use of a compass for navigation, so it uses a solar tracker camera integrated to JPL’s visual inertial navigation system. Some additional inputs include gyros, visual odometry, tilt sensors, altimeter, and hazard detectors. It uses solar panels to recharge its batteries, which are six Sony Li-ion cells with a nameplate capacity of 2 Ah.

The prototype uses the Snapdragon processor from Intrinsyc with a Linux operating system, which also implements visual navigation via a velocity estimate derived from features tracked with a camera. The processor is connected to two flight-control Microcontroller Units (MCU) to perform the needed flight-control functions. Communications with the rover are through a radio link called Zig-Bee, a standard 900 MHz chipset that will be mounted in both the rover and helicopter. The communication system is designed to relay data at 250 Kbit/s over distances of up to 1,000 m. The helicoptertravels by attaching to the underside of the rover, and is deployed to the surface between 60 and 90 Martian days after the landing. Then, the rover will drive approximately 100 meters away for the test flights to begin. This technology demonstration forms the foundation on which more capable helicopters can be developed for more ambitious missions to planets and moons with an atmosphere. The next generation of rotorcraft may be in the range between 5 and 15 kg with science payloads between 0.5 and 1.5 kg. These potential aircraft could have direct communication to an orbiter and may or may not continue to work with a landed asset. Future helicopters could be used to explore special regions with exposed water ice or brines where Earth microbial life could potentially survive. Mars helicopters may also be considered for fast retrieval of small sample caches back to a Mars ascent vehicle for return to Earth.