NASA’s Mars helicopter proved so successful that the space agency plans to build a larger, more advanced helicopter.
After more than 70 flights, the Ingenuity helicopter — the first vehicle to perform powered, controlled flight on another planet — crashed in a Martian dune in January 2024. capable of five flights) prompted conceptual research into the design and planning of what the agency calls a “Mars Helicopter.”
“In addition to reconnaissance, the helicopter can carry scientific instruments to study places that terrain vehicles cannot reach,” NASA said.
See also: NASA scientists view the first Voyager images. What he saw made him shudder.
The short video below shows a helicopter with six main rotors, compared to the Ingenuity’s two main rotors. Such a design allows the aircraft to have higher lift efficiency and travel longer distances.
Flying on Mars is daunting. The Martian atmosphere is very thin, with a volume about one percent that of Earth’s atmosphere. This makes it difficult to generate the lift needed for flight. To get airborne, Ingenuity spins its 4-foot-long rotor blades at a whopping 2,400 rpm. But the relatively lightweight design was not only successful, it was also incredibly informative.
“Ingenuity gives us the confidence and data to look toward the future of Mars missions,” Ingenuity project manager Teddy Zanetos said in a NASA statement.
“Ingenuity gives us the confidence and data to look toward the future of Mars flight.”
Future helicopter design is still in its infancy, and some things will almost certainly evolve. But NASA explained that the current concept is 20 pounds heavier than Ingenuity and is capable of traveling about two miles per day. For reference, Ingenuity’s longest flight range is 2,310 feet (704 meters).
For future exploration of the Red Planet, the space agency is also working on a Mars aircraft that can take off and land vertically like a helicopter. Helicopters and planes would both be a boon to Mars exploration, a world once filled with water that may today host huge underground lakes and potentially hide secrets in caves.
On alien worlds without runways, these craft could become invaluable pioneers.
