Planetary Airplane Extraction System Development and Subscale Testing  John E. Teter Jr.'  Abstract  The Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey (ARES) project will employ an airplane as the science  platform from which to collect science data in the previously inaccessible, thin atmosphere of Mars. In  order for the airplane to arrive safely in the Martian atmosphere, a number of sequences must occur. A  critical element in the entry sequence at Mars is an extraction maneuver to separate the airplane quickly  (in less than a second) from its protective backshell to reduce the possibility of re-contact, potentially  leading to mission failure. This paper describes the development, testing, and lessons learned from  building a 1/3 scale model of this airplane extraction system. This design, based on the successful Mars  Exploration Rover (MER) extraction mechanism, employs a series of trucks rolling along tracks located on  the surface of the central parachute can. Numerous tests using high speed video were conducted at the  Langley Research Center to validate this concept. One area of concern was that that although the  airplane released cleanly, a pitching moment could be introduced. While targeted for a Mars mission, this  concept will enable environmental surveys by aircraft in other planetary bodies with a sensible  atmosphere such as Venus or Saturn's moon, Titan.  Introduction  The ARES project will employ an airplane as the science platform to closely survey the surface, identify  the constituents of the atmosphere, and assess the residual magnetism of Mars. In order for the airplane  to arrive safely in the Martian atmosphere, a number of sequences must occur, starting with Earth launch  and ending with deployment. The airplane will be launched from Earth inside a protective aeroshell  attached to a spacecraft. It will cruise for almost a year from Earth to Mars. Then, arriving at Mars it will  begin the Entry, Descent, and Deployment (EDD) sequence. Figure 1 shows the stages of EDD. Many  sequences must occur quickly to allow the plane to fly in the Martian atmosphere. Upon arrival at Mars,  the protective forward aeroshell will separate from the spacecraft and coast into the atmosphere of Mars.  After atmospheric drag has slowed the assembly to approximately Mach 2, a supersonic parachute will  deploy to slow the craft further allowing the forward heatshield to separate. At this point, the airplane will  be safely tucked in the swinging and turning backshell, which is suspended from the parachute. Now the  final deployment sequence of the airplane begins. The backshell must ascend 0.7 meter relative to the  airplane extraction system to expose the airplane. The extraction system will then release the airplane. In  less than two minutes, the airplane will fall under the restraint of a drogue chute, unfold, pull up, and fly  above the surface of Mars.  This paper concentrates on the mechanicaf extraction system developed to separate the airplane from its  protective backshell. Since the folded tail of the airplane is not sufficient to support the airplane launch  loads, a secondary structure is required to extend past the folded wings and tail to attach to the main  body of the airplane. This multi-legged, tripod structure which connects the airplane to the backshell has  been dubbed the Airplane Extraction System (AES).  NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA  Proceedings of the 3@ Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium, Langley Research Center, May 17- 19,2006  359