Estimating Aerodynamic Properties of Planetary Surfaces using Drone Attitude

Measuring the wind profile near a planet’s surface provides a way to estimate friction velocity and the surface’s aerodynamic roughness length, parameters key for understanding and predicting aeolian activity. In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the wind profile using only the attitude of a small drone. Such an approach may be particularly advantageous in planetary exploration where instrument payload, data volume, and power are all limited. Indeed, estimates of Martian winds and the wind profile are likely already feasible with telemetry from Mars 2020 Ingenuity. Given the enormous influence of wind in energy and sediment redistribution on Mars, such measurements are critical to understanding aeolian processes and to constraining parameters used in geologic and climate models (such as dust lofting rates). Future work should explore how to expand on and improve the measurement approach discussed here and whether the already collected telemetry from Ingenuity might be used.