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Stability analysis of Mars soft landing under uncertain landing conditions and two landing strategies

Jianzhong Ding (School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China)
Xueao Liu (School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China)
Yang Dong (School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China)
Chunjie Wang (State Key Laboratory of Virtual Reality Technology and Systems, Beihang University, Beijing, China)

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology

ISSN: 0002-2667

Article publication date: 6 June 2022

Issue publication date: 5 December 2022

156

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the landing performance of the Mars lander considering uncertain landing conditions under two landing modes.

Design/methodology/approach

A dynamics analysis model for the legged Mars lander is established for landing simulation, where the nonlinear large-deformation flexible buffer rods are equivalently modeled with a rigid-body mechanism with external forces and movement limit. Sensitivities of the landing stability to various landing conditions are analyzed using the Quasi–Monte-Carlo-based Sobol’ method and computer-aided landing simulations. Moreover, based on the results of sensitivity analysis, sensitive parameters are selected for estimating the safe boundaries for stability indices of rotation and clearance.

Findings

It can be concluded from this study that the lander has excellent ability against overturning. The shutdown-before-touchdown strategy helps to maintain than landing pose, and the shutdown-at-touchdown strategy helps to prevent the nozzle from colliding with the surface of Mars.

Practical implications

This study provides a theoretical reference to choose the better landing strategies for Mars landers considering uncertain landing conditions.

Originality/value

A parameterized dynamics Mars lander model and a simplification method are proposed to simulate the landing on Mars. Uncertain landing conditions are parameterized and considered in the dynamics model. Sensitivity analysis and safe boundary methods are used to compare the landing performances with two landing strategies.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This paper is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52105001) and the State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems (HIT) (Grant No. SKLRS-2021-KF-01).

Citation

Ding, J., Liu, X., Dong, Y. and Wang, C. (2022), "Stability analysis of Mars soft landing under uncertain landing conditions and two landing strategies", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 94 No. 10, pp. 1883-1891. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-12-2021-0377

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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