"Dragonfly" Titan explorer drone, NASA funds Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) |
"Dragonfly" Titan explorer drone, NASA funds Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) |
Dec 20 2017, 09:04 PM
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: 3-August 12 Member No.: 6454 |
Is there a specific website for this Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) concept for a Titan explorer drone?
Looks to be an RTG powered machine, somewhat reminiscent of MSL Curiosity (RTG sticking out the tail end). But no camera mast, ChemCam, or sampling arm visible in the concept illustration. QUOTE Dec. 20, 2017 RELEASE 17-101 NASA Invests in Concept Development for Missions to Comet, Saturn Moon Titan Dragonfly Dragonfly is a drone-like rotorcraft that would explore the prebiotic chemistry and habitability of dozens of sites on Saturn’s moon Titan, an ocean world in our solar system. Elizabeth Turtle from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, is the lead investigator, with APL providing project management. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-inv...turn-moon-titan |
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Aug 19 2019, 01:46 PM
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: 3-August 12 Member No.: 6454 |
With the high atmospheric density and low gravity on Titan, I'm thinking that Dragonfly might be able to "autogyro" unpowered to the ground, following reentry.
Has anyone looked at what the lading speed would be, unpowered ? Could the quadcopter control system maintain level flight in such a case? In the affirmative, maybe Dragonfly could dispense with the EDL parachute, saving mass for more science instruments or bigger battery? |
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Aug 19 2019, 03:07 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2542 Joined: 13-September 05 Member No.: 497 |
With the high atmospheric density and low gravity on Titan, I'm thinking that Dragonfly might be able to "autogyro" unpowered to the ground, following reentry. I haven't worked out what the terminal velocity of the aeroshell would be before chute deploy, have you? The vehicle has to be slowed enough for the deployment/unfolding sequence to work in the first place. That said, as a rule, autogyros require forward motion to generate lift. You may be thinking of what's called an autorotation in a helicopter. To do an autorotation, you need blade pitch control to reduce your descent rate from the fairly high rate needed to keep the blades turning to a rate low enough for landing, and of course you have very little choice about where you land (you have to commit to a landing spot pretty high up). Dragonfly has no blade pitch control and the small diameter props of a quad don't have enough momentum to do autorotations, on Earth anyway. The battery is charged at the start of EDL so there's no particular advantage to landing unpowered anyway. The mission profile calls for a long flight traverse before the first landing to find the best landing site. -------------------- Disclaimer: This post is based on public information only. Any opinions are my own.
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