Space & Astronomy

NASA wants to send a helicopter to Mars

By T.K. Randall
January 28, 2015 ·  23 comments

The rover and the drone would work together as a team. Image Credit: NASA / JPL One of the problems that a rover faces as it tries to navigate the surface of the Red Planet is the uneven nature of the terrain which is filled with ridges, rocks and gullies. Data from orbiting satellites can help to fill in some of the gaps in what lies ahead but it's still no substitute for having a way to scout from the surface.

To solve this problem NASA is proposing the use of a special helicopter drone that could accompany a Mars rover and help it to navigate obstacles and pinpoint places to explore.Flying such a device on the surface of Mars however poses a number of engineering challenges. Not only is there the problem of the planet's low density atmosphere but the helicopter would have to be light enough to take off while also being sturdy enough to survive in the harsh environment.

"There's the challenge of keeping the whole mass of the system small so that we don't overwhelm the lift capability of this system," said JPL roboticist Bob Balaram.

"It has to be autonomous in terms of being able to fly and maintain stable flight."


Source: News.com.au | Comments (23)

Tags: Mars, Helicopter