Mars Tumbleweed is a concept for an autonomous rover that would achieve mobility through use of the natural winds on Mars. The wind-blown nature of this vehicle make it an ideal platform for conducting random surveys of the surface, scouting for signs of past or present life as well as examining the potential habitability of sites for future human exploration. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has been studying the dynamics, aerodynamics, and mission concepts of Tumbleweed rovers and has recently developed a prototype Mars Tumbleweed Rover for demonstrating mission concepts and science measurement techniques. This paper will provide an overview of the prototype design, instrumentation to be accommodated, preliminary test results, and plans for future development and testing of the vehicle

Antol, Jeffrey

Chattin, Richard L.

Copeland, Benjamin M.

Krizann, Shawn A.

NASA Technical Reports Server

44th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit            AIAA-2006-0064 
9 –12 January 2006, Reno, Nevada 
The NASA Langley Mars Tumbleweed Rover Prototype 
Jeffrey Antol,* Richard L. Chattin,† and Benjamin M. Copeland‡ 
NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA  23681 
Shawn A. Krizan** 
Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc., Hampton, VA 
The Mars Tumbleweed is a concept for an autonomous rover that would achieve mobility 
through use of the natural winds on Mars.  The wind-blown nature of this vehicle make it an 
ideal platform for conducting random surveys of the surface, scouting for signs of past or 
present life as well as examining the potential habitability of sites for future human 
exploration.  NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has been studying the dynamics, 
aerodynamics, and mission concepts of Tumbleweed rovers and has recently developed a 
prototype Mars Tumbleweed Rover for demonstrating mission concepts and science 
measurement techniques.   This paper will provide an overview of the prototype design, 
instrumentation to be accommodated, preliminary test results, and plans for future 
development and testing of the vehicle.        
I. Introduction 
T he surface of Mars is swept by winds averaging 2-5 meters/sec (m/s), with periodic gusting of 10-20 m/s and seasonal dust storms exceeding 25 m/s.  Dr. Jacques Blamont of the National Center for Space Studies in France 
first discussed the use of these winds for rover mobility in the 1970s.  His ideas evolved into the University of 
Arizona Mars Ball concept, a prototype rover using sequenced inflation and deflation of air bags to aid mobility and 
steer.1  Recently, the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC),2 the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL),3 Texas Tech 
University (TTU),4 and North Carolina State University (NCSU)5 have developed concepts for the “Tumbleweed” 
rover, a wind-driven vehicle that could travel great distances across varied Martian terrain, using only the Martian 
wind for mobility.  LaRC, NCSU and TTU are studying concepts for deployable open-structure vehicles similar to 
kites, while JPL has developed an inflatable “beach ball” concept based on the Mars airbag landing spheres.  To 
date, only a small portion of the Martian surface has been explored in-situ, thus the Tumbleweed provides a 
capability to explore scientifically interesting sites across large regions, many of which are currently inaccessible to 
conventional wheeled rovers.  Tumbleweeds would be lightweight and relatively inexpensive, allowing multiple 
rovers to be deployed in a single mission to particular areas of interest and would complement other exploration 
missions by serving as scouts – locating areas of interest for detailed follow-on investigations by rovers, landers, or 
perhaps human explorers.  The wind-blown character of the Tumbleweed make it an ideal platform for conducting 
random surveys; scouting for signs of past or present life as well as examining the potential habitability of sites for 
future human exploration.  The Tumbleweed rovers would be several meters (m) in diameter and no larger than tens 
of kilograms (kg) in order to operate in the low density Martian atmosphere.  To test the feasibility of the 
Tumbleweed concept, LaRC has developed a prototype rover for use in field tests and demonstrations.  The 
following sections provide an overview of the prototype design, the associated construction techniques, the 
electronics (data system, telemetry, and sensors), and discusses plans for future development and testing. 
                                                          
* Aerospace Engineer, Architectures, Missions & Science Branch, MS 462, Non-member AIAA 
† Senior Aerospace Technician, Technology Development & Integration Branch, MS 386, Non-member AIAA 
‡ Senior Aerospace Technician, Technology Development & Integration Branch, MS 386, Non-member AIAA 
**Aerospace Engineer, Architectures, Missions & Science Branch, MS 462, Non-member AIAA  
 
 
 
 
  
This material is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20060004782 2019-08-29T21:18:07+00:00Z
  II. NASA LaRC Tumbleweed Concepts and Mission Scenarios NASA LaRC has developed several notional concepts of “deployable open-structure” Tumbleweeds, for the 
purpose of providing a durable wind-driven vehicle with superior aerodynamic properties and open access to the 
Martian environment for scientific payloads.  The three primary concepts (Box Kite, Dandelion and Tumble-cup) 
are depicted in Figure 1.2  The “Box Kite” concept employs orthogonal circular hoops with fabric sails, similar in 
construction to some tents and automobile sunshades.  Additional hoops without sails may also be included to 
improve the rolling characteristics of the Box kite concept.  The “Dandelion” uses a spherically symmetric array of 
struts/legs with pads/feet at the ends to prevent sinking into soft surfaces.  A variation of this concept, the 
“Eggbeater Dandelion,” was developed with multiple curved struts/legs resembling eggbeaters or whisks.  Similar to 
the Dandelion, the “Tumble-cup” concept provides a spherically symmetric array; however, rather than struts/legs, 
open-ended cones or cylinders are used for maximizing aerodynamic surface area and thus increasing the drag force.    
 
Figure 1. NASA LaRC Deployable Open-Structure Tumbleweed Concepts, from left to right: Box Kite, 
Dandelion, Eggbeater Dandelion, and Tumble-Cup 
Candidate mission scenarios have been defined and assessed for the Tumbleweed rover concept, envisaged as an 
ideal platform for conducting random, in-situ surveys of the Martian surface, capable of scouting broad areas over 
long distances.  The survey/scouting capability would fill a niche between the global surveys currently conducted 
using remote sensing, orbiting satellites and the highly localized, in-situ surveys conducted by conventional landers 
and rovers, thus developing a Mars regional survey capability.  Two primary mission concepts have been explored: 
 
1. Precursor survey of candidate landing sites for human explorers  
2. Exploration of areas currently inaccessible by conventional rovers  
 
The selection of safe landing sites on Mars for human explorers will be critical to the success of NASA’s Vision 
for Space Exploration.  Tumbleweed rovers deployed at candidate landing sites could search for hazards (identifying 
potentially toxic substances, measuring radiation levels, examining the electrostatic properties of the soil, etc.) as 
well as identify interesting regions for human exploration, locations that may provide valuable resources such as 
water or contain signs of past or present life.  Regional measurements for a Mars human precursor mission may 
include: characterizing the particulate environment, characterizing the structure of the atmosphere, finding and 
characterizing accessible water, and measuring the ionizing radiation environment.6 
 
Many scientifically interesting sites on Mars are currently inaccessible by conventional landers and rovers.  One 
example is the gully features discovered on numerous Martian crater walls, valleys, pits, and graben and the 
potential association of these features with liquid water.7  These gully features are of primary interest for conducting 
in-situ investigations because of the current strategy of “follow the water” in the search for life on Mars.  Specific 
measurements of interest adjacent to and within gully features include: water detection, subsurface sounding for 
aquifers, soil composition, and gas detection / identification. 8 
III. LaRC Tumbleweed Prototype 
NASA LaRC has studied the dynamics9 and aerodynamics10 of the notional Tumbleweed concepts and initiated 
development of a prototype for conducting field tests to assess the vehicle design, as well as demonstrate mission 
concepts and science measurement techniques.  Based on the preliminary results of LaRC’s analyses, the Box Kite 
concept was selected for prototype development because of its high drag properties, simple design, ease of 
construction, and open structure for instrument access.  The LaRC Box Kite prototype (Figure 2) also leveraged 
 
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 
 
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 knowledge gained from development of the Tumbleweed Earth Demonstrator (TED), a Box Kite prototype 
developed in collaboration with the NCSU undergraduate Aerospace Design class in 2002-03. 11, 12 
 
 
Figure 2. LaRC Baseline Tumbleweed Prototype 
The LaRC Box Kite Tumbleweed prototype is constructed using 3-foot length sections of 1/8-inch diameter 
titanium wire (6Al 4V ELI), joined by polycarbonate connectors (Figure 3) to form hoops.  The LaRC 
Stereolithography Laboratory developed the connectors using fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology from 
Stratasys, Inc.  Several connector configurations were developed, including 4-way and 8-way “plug-in” as well as 6-
way and 4-way “snap-on.”   The sails are fastened to the orthogonal hoops with Velcro™ and are made from 1.5 
oz/yd rip-stop nylon sail material.   Additional hoops were added between the sail quadrants to aid rolling.   
 
Figure 3. Polycarbonate (Lexan™) connecting nodes 
 The instrument/payload core, which is located in the center of the vehicle, is a duplicate of the NCSU TED 
stereolithography core created by Fineline Prototyping, Inc. of Raleigh, NC (Figure 4).  Use of the same core as the 
NCSU TED allows for future collaboration and exchange of instrumentation between the two vehicles.  The 10-inch 
diameter core provides protection for the data/telemetry system as well as select sensors and is attached to the sails 
by Velcro™.  Two removable hatches provide access to the core interior where the data/telemetry system (including 
power) and sensors are located.  The thermocouples, pressure sensors and the Global Positioning System (GPS) 
antenna protrude through the core to access the exterior environment. 
 
 
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 
 
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Figure 4. Instrument / payload core 13  
The data/telemetry system is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) kit designed for unmanned aerial vehicles 
(UAVs), the Radio Controlled Aircraft Telemetry System (RCATS™) (Figure 5).  The RCATS™ provides a 
20MHz micro-controller based data system with 11 channels of input, powered by a 3-cell, 12V Lithium Ion battery.  
A 900MHz (100mW) frequency hopping, spread spectrum transmitter provides a range of 5+ miles (line-of-site).14   
 
 
Figure 5.  RCATS™ - (1) data system, (2) transmitter, (3) lithium-ion battery, (4) accelerometers, (5) 
thermocouples, (6) pressure sensor, (7) GPS antenna, (8) GPS data logger, and (9) ground station receiver 
 
The sensor suite of the Tumbleweed prototype, which demonstrates fundamental measurement capabilities and 
provides engineering data on the vehicle, includes several COTS sensors from the RCATS™: three (3) 
accelerometers, two (2) thermocouples for temperature measurements, pressure and temperature sensors built-in to 
the data system, and a Trimble™ GPS antenna (Table 1).  
Table 1. RCAT™ Sensor Specifications 14 
Measurement Specification Resolution 
Temperature 
(Thermocouples, K-type) 
32 to 1875 oF 0.5 oF 
Temperature (Ambient)  -102 to 302 deg F 0.5 oF 
Acceleration Up to +/- 25 G ~1/16 G 
Altitude (barometric pressure) 0 to 30,000ft ~8 ft 
 
The total weight of the prototype, including the structure, sails, sensors, and payload core is 10.5 lbs, measured 
using a Zebco Deliar 228 fish scale. 
 
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 
 
4
 Preliminary field-testing of the Tumbleweed prototype was conducted at the NASA LaRC in May 2005 (Figure 
6).  The data/telemetry system performed as expected and acceleration, temperature, pressure and position 
information were transmitted to the RCATS™ receiver and downloaded to a PC Notebook computer, where it was 
viewed in real-time using the RCATS™ ground station software.  Wind speed measurements indicate that the 
vehicle achieved motion in 3 – 4 mile per hour winds, despite the “soft” structure that resulted in a larger footprint 
and hence more rolling resistance than anticipated.  Additional, extensive field-testing is planned for Summer 2006 
in cooperation with NCSU students who have developed a second generation TED. 
 
 
Figure 6. LaRC Tumbleweed Prototype Field Testing 
IV. Next Generation Tumbleweed Prototype 
An advanced Tumbleweed prototype is proposed that would include a packagable and deployable structure, solar 
power generation (for battery charging) and the LaRC developed Micro Flight Computer (MicroFC) data/telemetry 
system.  Additional sensors, to conduct sample measurements like those discussed in the mission concepts of 
Section II, would also be incorporated into the next generation prototype, and could include a wheel electrometer 
(derived from the Mars Environmental Capability Assessment (MECA) electrometer) to measure the electrostatic 
properties of soil, an x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer to examine soil composition, a tunable diode laser 
(TDL) for water vapor detection, and a wideband electromagnetic sensor for subsurface surveys.  Sensors such as 
the wheel electrometers would be located on the connecting nodes of the Box Kite hoops (Figure 7).  This prototype 
will be used to demonstrate the measurement capabilities of the Tumbleweed at Mars analog sites on the Earth. 
 
 
Figure 7.  Potential sensor locations on the "nodes" of the LaRC Box Kite Tumbleweed prototype 
 
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 
 
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American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 
 
6
V. Summary  
The Tumbleweed rover concept is an ideal platform for conducting random, in-situ surveys of the Martian 
surface, scouting broad areas over long distances, and filling a “regional” niche between the global measurements of 
remote sensing orbiting platforms and localized, in-situ measurements of landers and rovers.  A baseline prototype 
Box Kite Tumbleweed was developed at NASA LaRC for assessing the concept and demonstrating measurement 
techniques.  Preliminary field tests were conducted with acceleration, pressure, temperature, and position 
measurements acquired.  Additional tests are planned for varied terrain and conditions.  A next generation prototype 
with an advanced sensor suite is proposed for demonstrating measurement capabilities at Mars analog sites. 
Acknowledgments 
The authors would like to thank Dennis Bushnell and the LaRC Creativity & Innovation (C&I) initiative and 
Rich Antcliff and the LaRC Innovation Institute (ii) for their support of the Tumbleweed research. 
References 
                                                          
1 Janes, D.: “The Mars Ball: A Prototype Martian Rover,” AAS 87-272, The Case For Mars III, Part II - Volume 75, AAS 
Science and Technology Series, Eds. Carol R. Stoker, 1989, pp. 569-574. 
 
2 Antol, J., Calhoun, P., Flick, J., Hajos, G., Keyes, J., Stillwagen, F., Krizan, S., Strickland, C., Owens, R., and Wisniewski, M.: 
“Mars Tumbleweed: FY2003 Conceptual Design Assessment” NASA TM-2005-213527, August 2005. 
 
3 Behar, A., Carsey, F., Matthews, J., Jones, J.: “NASA JPL Tumbleweed Polar Rover,” IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky 
Montana, 2004. 
 
4 Moody, C., Rose, S., Barhorst, A.: “Drag Measurement and Dynamic Simulation of Martian Wind Driven Sensor Platform 
Concepts,” AIAA-2005-0249, 43rd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 10-13, 2005. 
 
5 DeJarnette, F., Casper, K., Maxwell, B., Schwarz, J., Sebastian, T., Engler, W., Hanrahan, H., Lam, N.: “Deployment Devices 
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7 Heldmann, J.L. and Mellon M.T.: “Observations of Martian gullies and constraints on potential formation mechanisms,” Icarus 
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8 Antol, J. and Heldmann, J.: “Using Wind Driven Tumbleweed Rovers to Explore Martian Gully Features,” AIAA-2005-0245, 
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9 Flick, J. and Toniolo, M.: “Preliminary Dynamic Feasibility and Analysis of a Spherical, Wind Driven (Tumbleweed) Martian 
Rover,” AIAA-2005-0250, 43rd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 10-13, 2005.  
 
10 Strickland, C. and Keyes, J.: “Wind Tunnel Tests to Determine Drag Coefficients for the Mars Tumbleweed,” AIAA-2005-
0248, 43rd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 10-13, 2005.  
 
11 Hanrahan, H., Minton, D., DeJarnette, F., Camelier, I., Fleming, M.: “Mars Tumbleweed: A New Way to Explore Mars,” 
Planetary Probe Atmospheric Entry and Descent Trajectory Analysis and Science Workshop, Lisbon Portugal, Oct. 6-9 2003.  
 
12 Hanrahan, H., Minton, D., DeJarnette, F., Camelier, I., Fleming, M.: “Conceptual Designs for a Mars Tumbleweed,” Planetary 
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14 RCATS™ Telemetry Device Operations Manual, version 1.4, October 20, 2004. 


The NASA Langley Mars Tumbleweed Rover Prototype

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