NASA wants to send helicopter with Mars 2020 mission

By admin On May 14, 2018

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NASA is building an unmanned helicopter to fly with the Mars 2020 mission to fly over the planet Mars. It is the first time that an attempt has been made to explore another planet with an aircraft.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory started developing the Mars Helicopter as early as 2013. The finished design weighs 1.8 kilograms and features twin rotors, which rotate in opposite directions at nearly 3000rpm. According to NASA, that rotational speed is about ten times that of a helicopter on Earth; this is necessary because of the thin atmosphere on Mars.

The altitude record for a helicopter on Earth is forty thousand feet. The atmosphere on Mars is so thin that flying around is equivalent to flying at a height of 100,000 feet on Earth. To make that possible, the helicopter must be as light as possible.

The helicopter contains a lithium-ion battery that is charged with solar panels. The helicopter is also equipped with heating to survive the cold nights. The helicopter mounted on the belly of the new Mars rover is planned to descend towards the planet.

If the rover lands successfully, a suitable spot is sought to detach the helicopter. The rover will then drive off to make room for takeoff. The helicopter is controlled with hardware from the Mars rover. The helicopter will have to fly autonomously over the red planet. Real time control from Earth is not possible due to the long distance.

NASA has a 30-day test in mind, with five flights that get longer and longer, up to a few hundred meters. The longest flight will take 90 seconds. On the first flight, the helicopter rises to a height of three meters and stays there for half a minute.

According to the space agency, the helicopter is a technology demonstration. NASA’s main aim is to demonstrate that it is possible to fly a helicopter in the thin atmosphere of Mars. That would allow for more ambitious missions in the future.

The helicopter project is a case of high-risk, high-reward, according to NASA. There is a good chance that the project will fail, but that will not affect the Mars 2020 mission further. The launch of the Mars rover and helicopter is scheduled for sometime in July 2020. The helicopter will then arrive sometime in March or February 2021.