This paper proposes a landing gear system that stabilizes a planetary lander's attitude using electromagnetic dampers and regenerative energy. Many missions to the Moon and Mars are planned and many have been executed, but so far landings have been limited to broad, flat terrain. The ability to land on rugged terrain, such as a crater rim or the slope of a valley, is needed to extend the exploration range on planetary surfaces. A lunar or planetary lander needs a mechanism to stabilize its attitude so that it can touch down safely. The proposed system has electromagnetic dampers that are electrically interconnected so that regenerative current can be controlled to regulate the leg length and stabilize the lander. By analyzing touchdown motion in simulations through numerical analysis of an in-plane lander model, the authors have demonstrated successful landings on a simulated slope by switching between energy interchange and individual dissipation. The simulation results show the proposed system to be notably more effective in stabilizing the attitude of a planetary lander than a system made up of individual dampers.
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