Goodwinds Composites Engineers Landing Legs for NASA’s Mars Helicopter

NASA partnered with Goodwinds Composites to develop carbon fiber landing leg tubes for the Ingenuity robotic helicopter, designed to operate in the extreme conditions of Mars. The challenge was to engineer lightweight composite structures capable of withstanding hard landings, UV exposure, and harsh environmental stresses while meeting strict material specifications.

The solution was a collaborative engineering approach leveraging Goodwinds’ expertise in roll-wrapped composite tubes and specialty prepregs. By optimizing layup design and geometry for impact resistance, conducting iterative small-batch testing, and maintaining close coordination with NASA engineers, Goodwinds delivered a custom, high-performance solution that contributed to Ingenuity’s successful deployment and extended mission life.

7 Reasons Composite Rods & Tubes Make Excellent Structural Components

From tents and guitars to helicopters on Mars, small diameter composite rods and tubes make excellent structural components in a wide variety of products. Product design and prototyping with composites are easier than ever with off-the-shelf and custom carbon and fiberglass rods and tubes from Goodwinds Composites. Here are 7 reasons why you should consider composite rods and tubes for your product:

White Paper: Roll-Wrapped Composite Tubes

Roll-wrapped composite manufacturing requires a systematic procedure to ensure consistency and quality in the final product. It starts with frozen composite prepreg, from which flags are cut using an automated cutting table. Each flag is tailored to specific dimensions — including diameter, length, fiber orientation, and wall thickness — ensuring identical patterns for each finished tube.

The composite flags are then meticulously rolled onto the mandrel using a rolling machine, applying even pressure along the tool’s entire length. This mechanical compaction, which human hands cannot replicate, ensures a consistent and tightly wrapped composite structure. The mandrel is wrapped with shrink tape to achieve the final exterior dimension following the rolling procedure.