Helo, Mars!
Objective
Apply trigonometric ratios to the NASA Mars Helicopter
Scout so that flight data such as climb angle and average
speed can be calculated given initial flight parameters.
Vocabulary
• Slope: The angle the rille wall makes to the horizontal.
• Above Ground Level (AGL): The altitude as measured
from the local area.
• Altitude: The height that an object is in the air.
• Average Speed: The Round Trip Distance divided by
the Travel Time Climb.
• Angle: The angle formed between the rover and the
FTP.
• Distance to FTP: The distance from the rover to a point
above and downrange of the rover.
• Flight Time Capacity: The amount of time that is avail-
able to fly.
• Fly–To–Point (FTP): A point above the Martian surface.
• Ground Distance: The downrange distance from a
rover.
• Hover Time: The amount of time spent in a stationary
position above the ground.
• Round Trip Distance: The distance from the rover to the
FTP and back to the rover.
• Travel Time: The time it takes to fly a certain distance.
Narrative
Roving on Mars is a great way to get from point A to
point B, with scientists back on Earth always looking for
For a more in-depth treatment of this high
school project by Joe Maness & Rich Holtzin
visit www.stemfortheclassroom.org.
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interesting places for the rovers to go visit and analyze.
However, sometimes finding the next spot to visit can be
a daunting task since scientists have to rely on satellite
imagery to find compelling places to visit. But even these
satellite images are not that detailed; it follows that a
closer inspection of the places is always more desirable.
In the same way that a ship on the ocean has a
Crow’s Nest where the crew can see further, getting to
higher ground allows for greater vision of the rover on
Mars. But how on Mars can one get to a higher place to
see further?
Several solutions present themselves, but each solution
is not noteworthy. For example, a tower can be erected
from the rover, but the complexity and the mass penalty
is probably too much. It would be nice if we could scout
the area ahead of the rover, and survey without weigh-
ing too much. The reason is because an increase in mass
equals to an increase in the amount of propellant need-
ed just to get off the ground.
Analysis
Enter the Mars Helicopter Scout (MHS). This little and
ultra light weight flying machine can take off from the
rover and fly out to a distance that the rover cannot see.
It has solar panels on the top of the machine, and has
two counter–rotating rotors that generate lift in the thin
Martian air. The best part? The entire helicopter has a
mass of only one kilogram!
The MHS is activated, and is sent instructions to go to a
certain Fly–To–Point (FTP) away and above the rover. The
helicopter lifts off and flies to the FTP, hovers, and takes im-
ages of the terrain that the rover cannot see. Afterwards,
the MHS flies back to the rover where it shuts itself down
and uses the solar panels to recharge its batteries. Nice!
The MHS has around 3 minutes (180 seconds) of flight
time capacity, and has a maximum altitude of 120
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