Dragonfly First Flight – Preliminary Flight Dynamics Analysis

NASA's Dragonfly mission will study prebiotic chemistry on the surface of Titan via an octocopter lander. Getting this lander to the surface requires a precise Entry, Descent, and Landing sequence culminating in the lander's First Flight. The First Flight begins when the lander separates from the backshell and transitions to independent flight for the first time in a maneuver called the Transition to Powered Flight, where the lander must power through vortex ring state, an aerodynamic condition that reduces thrust, to control the trajectory. After the Transition to Powered Flight, the lander descends to the surface and searches for a safe landing site using a lidar and two cameras. Once a suitable site is found, it returns to the site and descends to land. This paper reviews the First Flight concept of operations and related trades, then presents a Monte Carlo analysis showing simulation performance of the associated algorithms as compared to system requirements.