Systematic methodology for the preliminary design of future rotary VTOL martian aerobots

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dc.contributor.authorYouhanna, Vishal
dc.contributor.authorFelicetti, Leonard
dc.contributor.authorIgnatyev, Dmitry I.
dc.date.accessioned2025-03-12T09:59:54Z
dc.date.available2025-03-12T09:59:54Z
dc.date.freetoread2025-03-12
dc.date.issued2025-06
dc.date.pubOnline2025-01-25
dc.description.abstractThis paper proposes and describes a methodology for the preliminary design of aerobots for future Martian exploration missions within a framework. The methodology takes into account inputs derived from top-level mission requirements and site locations to obtain the critical mission parameters that affect the performance of the rotorcraft. The proposed methodology allows for incorporating multi-rotor configurations into the trade-offs based on the required power to perform flight profiles. The equations, based on momentum theory for conventional helicopters, are derived and generalised to estimate the required power for flight segments such as hover, vertical climb, and forward flight for rotorcraft with both overlapping and non-overlapping rotors such as coaxial, tandem, and multirotor configurations. The resulting performance data is used for sizing and selecting the critical components of the aerobot in a mission scenario, such as rotor and battery sizes. Notably, the analyses conducted on rotorcraft with single and dual rotors identified a tandem rotorcraft configuration without folding mechanisms as the optimal choice due to its superior power efficiency and mechanical simplicity. Through calculated equations for battery mass and available empty mass estimation, this framework enables the optimisation and selection of an efficient rotary VTOL aerobot for Martian missions in the years to come.
dc.description.journalNameActa Astronautica
dc.format.extent246-267
dc.identifier.citationYouhanna V, Felicetti L, Ignatyev D. (2025) Systematic methodology for the preliminary design of future rotary VTOL martian aerobots. Acta Astronautica, Volume 231, June 2025, pp. 246-267
dc.identifier.elementsID563496
dc.identifier.issn0094-5765
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2025.01.059
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/23561
dc.identifier.volumeNo231
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.publisher.urihttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009457652500061X?via%3Dihub
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject40 Engineering
dc.subject4001 Aerospace Engineering
dc.subjectAerospace & Aeronautics
dc.subject4001 Aerospace engineering
dc.subjectMars exploration
dc.subjectMartian drone framework
dc.subjectPlanetary aerobots
dc.subjectRotorcraft conceptual design
dc.subjectUAV
dc.titleSystematic methodology for the preliminary design of future rotary VTOL martian aerobots
dc.typeArticle
dcterms.dateAccepted2025-01-24

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