Uncrewed Systems Technology 048 | Kodiak Driver | 5G focus | Tiburon USV | Skypersonic Skycopter and Skyrover | CES 2023 | Limbach L 2400 DX and L 550 EFG | NXInnovation NX 100 Enviro | Solar power focus | Protegimus Protection

69 the simulated base or actual astronauts onMars). Unlike on Earth, where if all else fails a retrieval crew can be sent to pick up a UAV or rover, the data link will be the only useablemeans of contact between vehicle and operator, so the low latency and high reliability of the connection is vital. It is unlikely, however, to be used for constant remote control. “Clearly, more autonomy is better for exploration, because it means less labour andmental burden for the astronauts, so considerable time will be spent by them just monitoring the autonomous movements of the UAV and rover, and taking note of their findings,” Santangelo explains. “And autonomy is no longer very difficult to achieve – anyone can use 3D SLAM for instance in a UAV costing $50 – and future iterations of the Skyrover are likely to test autonomous recognition, gripping and retrieval of samples by itself. So even though early runs will be focused on manual training, they can switch to automatic and semi-automatic modes where varying degrees of functionality are given over to the UAV and rover.” Second, theremust be somemeans of precisely localising the vehicles wherever they are on the surface. It will be some time before GNSS constellations orbit aroundMars as they do around Earth, and although the cost of launching and deploying satellites is decreasing, the expense and logistics of deploying dozens of satellites toMars are such that a crewed base will come long before a Martian GPS. SLAM represents an enticing solution to the localisation problem, given the independence of such algorithms from satellites or other remote infrastructure, but the number of sensors and GPUs required could place an unworkable weight and power burden on the systems. There is also no telling how well SLAM would function on the Martian terrain, where there might be a lack of suitable landmarks for Lidar and vision systems to pick up. An alternative localisation infrastructure is therefore desirable. To ensure live remote piloting, HD video and localisation wherever the crew’s autonomous aircraft and rovers are, NASA searched the private sector for solutions, and found that US-based Skypersonic had exactly the very low latency data link (100 ms maximum) and localisation technologies it was seeking to guarantee navigation and comms reliability for terrestrial operators. Skypersonic thus won the bid to provide its systems and technology to CHAPEA without any competition. “Andwhile the CHAPEAMars basewill be in the Johnson Space Center, in Houston, NASA choseMt Etna in Sicily as the ideal place for testing and operating our vehicles and technology,” Santangelo says. “The terrain there is quite analogous towhat astronauts will experience onMars.” Preparations for CHAPEA ran through 2022, with the first missions to begin this year. Skypersonic’s vehicles and subsystems have already been trialled and validated by NASA, with the testing and examination of the company’s comms and navigation technology to be repeated and expanded upon throughout the three rounds of official CHAPEA missions to follow. As well as being interesting operations in their own right, the missions will show how Skypersonic’s technology could give humankind new levels of insight into our closest neighbouring planet. On Martian land and air Two uncrewed vehicles will be used for the CHAPEA project. The first is Skypersonic’s Skycopter, the company’s flagship UAV, which is similar in design and autonomous capabilities to the Flybotix ASIO (see UST 36, February/ March 2021) and the Flyability Elios. A cage surrounds its quadrotor body for protection during indoor flight, typically during industrial inspection jobs, and Skycopters with different customisations have been created for the CHAPEA missions. Skypersonic Skycopter and Skyrover | In operation Uncrewed Systems Technology | February/March 2023 The Skycopter is a caged UAV, originally designed for working inside industrial facilities, making it suitable for exploring Mars-like caves and lava tubes