ENHANCING MISSION LONGEVITY IN SPACE ROBOTICS: A RECONFIGURABLE 2U CUBESAT WITH HYBRID AERIAL-LEGGED LOCOMOTION

Agapito A.J.Q.; Palacios Bett J.S. · Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC (2025) · DOI: 10.52202/083078-0038

Resumen

A reconfigurable hybrid 2U CubeSat platform concept is proposed for Martian exploration, integrating coaxial aerial locomotion (two counter-rotating rotor disks) with an active quadruped landing gear (four legs with 3 DOF per leg). The coaxial configuration increases the effective disk area within a compact footprint, reducing the induced velocity and therefore the induced power required to sustain the total mass, in addition to canceling the reactive torque; these characteristics allow the transportation of the leg system and additional batteries without a proportional increase in energy consumption. The leg train provides mobility over rough terrain, impact absorption, and the ability to generate corrective attitude moments during descent, minimizing the probability of damage from collisions during landings, as has been evidenced by failures in exclusively aerial platforms. The technical justification is based on fundamental models of rotor momentum theory and induced power, on force and moment equilibrium criteria for quadruped support, and on rotational dynamics applicable to attitude control through support point forces. It is argued that the synergy between both modes of locomotion increases resilience and operational persistence of the mission: in case of flight capability loss, the platform preserves functionality through terrestrial displacement; in aerial operation, it reduces the risk associated with landing and take-off maneuvers.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería