Ingenuity became the first aircraft to fly on another world in the first half of 2021. It explored the Martian terrain from above and proved that powered air flight was a very efficient way to get around alien worlds. Now NASA has released a computer rendering of its next design, the Mars Chopper!
Ingenuity was a small helicopter, or rather a drone, transported to Mars in 2020 aboard the Perseverance rover mission. It was designed as a technology demonstration to prove that powered flight was possible in Mars' thin atmosphere. It made its first flight on April 19, 2021, hovering just 10 feet above the ground before landing safely again. Since then, Ingenuity has conducted 60 flights on Mars, helping to investigate and explore areas of interest for further study.
This view from NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was created using data collected by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard the agency's Perseverance Mars rover on August 2, 2023, the mission's 871st Martian day, or sol, a day before the 54th. Flight of the rotorcraft, collected. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
Operating a drone in the Martian atmosphere poses challenges primarily due to the lower density. Compared to Earth, the atmosphere has less than 1% of the density of Earth's atmosphere. This means aircraft rotor blades have to work harder and generate more lift than their ground-based counterparts.
Image of the Martian atmosphere and surface taken by the Viking 1 orbiter in June 1976. (Source: NASA/Viking 1)
Density aside, particulate matter on Mars' surface is often ejected into the atmosphere, which could damage the delicate mechanisms of functioning spacecraft. These types of vehicles must not only be carefully designed for use in foreign atmospheres, but they must also be able to protect themselves from local hazards.
Following on from the success of the Ingeniuty drone, NASA has released a rendering of its next-generation aerial vehicle for aerial flight on Mars, known as the Mars Chopper. Ingenuity was a feasibility study that proved successful in air flight. The new aircraft on the drawing board have greater payload capacity for carrying scientific instruments such as imaging and analysis kits. This will allow them to carry out basic tasks such as exploration activities in support of future explorations, but also carry out analysis and terrain mapping work. Ultimately, we even support human exploration of Mars.
The released image shows a drone-like vehicle about the size of an SUV with six rotors. Each rotor has six blades, smaller than the Ingenuity's, but the combination can provide even more lift. The payload capacity of the chopper in its current design configuration is 5 kilograms at a distance of up to 3 km. The design is a collaboration between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the Ames Research Center.
This new model will represent a real turning point not only for the exploration of Mars, but also for the exploration of all extraterrestrial worlds with a solid surface and an atmosphere that allows flight. Ingenuity has been at the forefront of testing the technology, and now, with the new Mars' Choppers concept on the drawing board, aerial reconnaissance on these new worlds will greatly increase the value of ground-based exploration. Aerial remote sensing will also be invaluable in supporting human exploration where rovers cannot reach.
Source: NASA Mars Chopper concept (rendering)
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