NASA will send a small helicopter as part of the 2020 mission to develop a next-generation probe on Mars, the first time such aircraft have been used in another world, the US space agency said on Friday.
NASA said the Mars helicopter would be operated by remote control and designed to operate in the thin Martian atmosphere with two revolving plates weighing about 1.8 kilograms with a body the size of a baseball. The ventilators circulate at about 3,000 laps per minute, almost 10 times the rate of helicopters on Earth.
"The recorded altitude of any helicopter flying here is about 12,200 meters," said Mimi Ong, director of the Mars project in NASA's rocket lab, in a statement that "Mars's atmosphere represents only 1 percent of the earth's atmosphere, so when our helicopter is on a surface Mars is already at an altitude of 30480 meters on Earth. "
NASA officials said the plane would reach the surface of the red planet attached to a probe the size of a car. After placing the aircraft on the ground, the probe will be routed to a safe distance to carry the orders. NASA said ground controllers would order the helicopter to make its first flight after charging its batteries and testing.
NASA said the aircraft was designed to show the viability and feasibility of using such aircraft on Mars, with the potential to play roles such as exploration by flying low altitude or reaching inaccessible areas of the Earth.
The aircraft contains solar cells to charge lithium-ion batteries and heating mechanism to keep the plane warm during the night when the temperature drops to freezing.
The Mars probe mission is due to start in July 2020 from the Cape Canaveral base in Florid to reach Mars in February 2021. NASA said the probe was designed to conduct geological studies and make sure the Mars environment was safe for life.
NASA said the Mars helicopter would be operated by remote control and designed to operate in the thin Martian atmosphere with two revolving plates weighing about 1.8 kilograms with a body the size of a baseball. The ventilators circulate at about 3,000 laps per minute, almost 10 times the rate of helicopters on Earth.
"The recorded altitude of any helicopter flying here is about 12,200 meters," said Mimi Ong, director of the Mars project in NASA's rocket lab, in a statement that "Mars's atmosphere represents only 1 percent of the earth's atmosphere, so when our helicopter is on a surface Mars is already at an altitude of 30480 meters on Earth. "
NASA officials said the plane would reach the surface of the red planet attached to a probe the size of a car. After placing the aircraft on the ground, the probe will be routed to a safe distance to carry the orders. NASA said ground controllers would order the helicopter to make its first flight after charging its batteries and testing.
NASA said the aircraft was designed to show the viability and feasibility of using such aircraft on Mars, with the potential to play roles such as exploration by flying low altitude or reaching inaccessible areas of the Earth.
The aircraft contains solar cells to charge lithium-ion batteries and heating mechanism to keep the plane warm during the night when the temperature drops to freezing.
The Mars probe mission is due to start in July 2020 from the Cape Canaveral base in Florid to reach Mars in February 2021. NASA said the probe was designed to conduct geological studies and make sure the Mars environment was safe for life.
source
No comments