Sample Recovery Helicopter

Abstract

We present the Sample Recovery Helicopter (SRH) element that serves as the primary backup for tube retrieval as part of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign. SRH was officially incorporated into MSR in July 2022. Concept of operations, aerial and ground mobility, manipulation, avionics, thermal and telecom will be described in the context of SRH's Mission Concept Review held in June 2022. The summarized Concept of Operations (ConOps) of SRH is as follows: 1. SRH would ride along with the Sample Retrieval Lander to Mars and deploy onto the surface. 2. SRH would perform mapping flights to aid in localization during the nominal mission. 3. SRH flies, and lands close to the tube sample depot. 4. SRH drives towards the selected sample tube and acquires it using a manipulator. 5. SRH + sample then take off, fly and land a safe distance from the lander. 6. SRH drives towards the lander and drops the sample tube onto the lander's robotic arm workspace. SRH drives away from the robotic arm workspace. 7. The lander's robotic arm picks up the tube from the ground and places it inside the rocket. 8. Process repeats, go to step 3. No functionality validation or design analysis is included in this work.