Ingenuity-OEX Aero Scout
Autonomous Aerial Reconnaissance Drone — Aerial Reconnaissance Division
Program Overview
Ingenuity-OEX Aero Scout is OrbitExSpace's next-generation Mars aerial platform, building directly on the proven flight heritage of NASA's Ingenuity helicopter — the first aircraft to achieve powered flight on another planet. Ingenuity-OEX will extend that proof-of-concept into a full operational reconnaissance asset, with a larger payload capacity, longer range, and AI-driven fully autonomous flight planning.
Unlike its predecessor, Ingenuity-OEX will not require ground-uploaded flight plans for routine operations. It will autonomously plan, execute, and debrief missions within a defined operational envelope, upstreaming imagery and science data on a daily cadence to OEX Mars Mission Control.
Department
Aerial Reconnaissance Division
Flight Heritage
NASA Ingenuity (direct reference)
Flights Per Sol
Up to 3 autonomous sorties
Mission Duration
Minimum 1 Mars year operational
Technical Specifications
Rotor Configuration
Coaxial counter-rotating, 6-blade
Mass
~8.2 kg
Power Source
Solar panel + Li-ion, 350 Wh capacity
Max Flight Altitude
18 m AGL in Mars atmosphere
Max Range Per Flight
700 m horizontal
Comms
900 MHz relay via ground rover link
AI Architecture
Neural Autonomy v4, flight path AI
Imagery
23 MPx nadir + oblique cameras
Operational Duties
Rover Route Scouting
Ingenuity-OEX will fly ahead of TerraNaut VII and other ground assets, providing aerial perspective on terrain traversability, dune fields, and surface hazard distribution. Scouted route data will be fed directly into the rover navigation AI for same-sol integration.
High-Resolution Aerial Mapping
On dedicated mapping flights, the vehicle will capture orthorectified aerial imagery at sub-10 cm ground resolution over areas of scientific interest. This will produce mapping products far exceeding the resolution capability of any Mars-orbiting satellite.
Atmospheric Science
Atmospheric pressure, temperature, and dust optical depth sensors onboard will collect low-altitude atmospheric profiles during every flight. This data will improve Mars atmospheric models and support planning for all OEX surface vehicle power budgets.
Communication Relay
During critical operations requiring elevated communications bandwidth, Ingenuity-OEX will station-keep at altitude, acting as a line-of-sight relay between ground assets and the OEX Mars orbital communications node.
Crater Interior Survey
Ingenuity-OEX will fly into crater interiors and below cliff overhangs — locations no rover can access — to acquire geological imagery and measurements that will inform sample site selection for TerraNaut VII drilling campaigns.