Design of a Martian Autonomous Rotary-Wing Vehicle

The design of a Martian autonomous rotary wing vehicle (MARV) is described. MARV is a 50-kg gross take off mass, coaxial helicopter designed for Mars exploration. Powered by a fuel cell system, it carries a payload of 1 0.8 kg over a range of 2 5 km with an endurance of 39 min including hover capability for 1 min. MARV isdesigned in response to the Request For Propo sal from NASA\Sikorsky for the Year 2000 American Helicopter Society student design competition. The design covers aerodynamic and structural design of rotor blades, vehicle power plant, fuselage and landing gear, control system, transmission, and vehicle lander communications. A detailed mechanism for autonomous deployment of the vehicle from the lander is also described. This preliminary design study indicates that controlled verticalight on Mars is feasible with existing technology