“VaMEx - Valles Marineris Exploration” is a research initiative launched by the DLR Space Administration. It aims to explore Valles Marineris using a heterogeneous, autonomous robot swarm consisting of roving, walking, and flying systems. Due to evidence of water deposits, past volcanic activity, and UV radiation shielding, the rift valley system is particularly intriguing, as it provides the conditions necessary for the existence of extraterrestrial life. Over the past few years, individual VaMEx projects have laid the technological groundwork for future exploration on Mars. To adapt the existing capabilities in the various areas to the requirements of a real Mars mission, the approximately three-year VaMEx 3 phase is planned, during which the necessary systems and procedures will be further developed as a closely integrated ensemble of independent projects.
VaMEx - 3-AE - Aerial Explorer
The “VaMEx 3-AE – Aerial Explorer” project is part of the VaMEx initiative and focuses on the flying swarm participants. These face particular challenges within the scope of the project. Their design and functional capabilities must be capable of withstanding the specific atmospheric conditions and meeting the mission requirements placed upon them.
Appropriate rotor blades for the rotor system are being developed and built at the Chair of Helicopter Technology. Development is taking place in collaboration with the SME INVENT GmbH and involves component development with terrestrial transferability of the technologies developed. The blade characteristics of the manufactured rotor blades are validated on individual blades through tests in a vacuum chamber. Based on the test data obtained, a performance model of a Mars drone is developed, and controller adjustments for the IFF’s free-flying UAV are derived at TUM-FSD. This enables the realistic simulation and validation of the Mars UAV, further developed by the consortium, under terrestrial conditions in field tests.