Abstract
Mars is always an intriguing planet for exploration due to its similarity to Earth and hospitability compared with other planets in the Solar System. So far, Mars exploration has occurred in three stages: flyby, Orbiter, Lander/Rover. For the next stage of Mars exploration, a novel unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or Aerobot) is required to guarantee regional coverage of the Martian surface with high resolution sensing for precise investigations of geology and life processes. Based on the knowledge of existing Mars Aerobot/Aeroplane/etc concepts, the combination of fixed wing and VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) capability is chosen for further investigation, with the ambition of regional coverage and multiple flights over the mission target region. A mission profile to investigate the Isidis Planitia region of Mars has been proposed based on the knowledge of the planet’s geophysical characteristics, its atmosphere and terrain. A novel aircraft design based on a combination of helicopter and flying wing dynamics has been presented with commercial-off-the-shelf sensors and instruments. A six-degree-of-freedom flight simulator has been created to support the Martian UAV design process by providing performance evaluations. The results demonstrate that this Martian UAV is flyable and feasible in both forward and VTOL mode. The controller loops and gains for both longitudinal modes and lateral/directional modes are also designed and verified by implementing different control command respectively. The results proved that this Martian UAV is controllable within a reasonable time in both longitudinal and lateral/directional modes.