The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is geared up for their expedition to Mars this coming 2020. As a part of this project, NASA asks the question: "What will happen if we bring an aerial vehicle to Mars?" The answer is in the development of the Mars Helicopter.
A SERIES OF FIRSTS
NASA is always proud of its pioneering legacy in space exploration, and the idea of making an aerial vehicle fly in an alien terrain excites most of its engineers. It may seem like a simple feat, but it has to be remembered that the composition of the air on Mars is totally different from that of Earth. Mars has little air that can help lift an ordinary chopper—this is why in order for the Mars Helicopter project to succeed, engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed a built-in capability like solar cells to keep the machine warm during harsh Martian winters.
The Mars Helicopter will be transported to the Red Planet attached to the belly pan of the Mars 2020 rover. According to NASA's press release statement, once the rover is on the planetary surface, they will find a suitable venue to deploy the helicopter. The Mars 2020 rover will relay the commands to the helicopter and let the rotorcraft take its first autonomous flight.
TESTING THE MARS HELICOPTER
The Mars Helicopter will undergo a full 30-day flight test. The tests will include five flights of farther flight distances (a few hundred meters and longer duration over a period). The helicopter will then make a short vertical climb for about 10 feet and hover for its first flight. In the press release for the Mars Helicopter, project manager Mimi Aung explains: "The altitude record for a helicopter flying here on Earth is about 40,000 feet. The atmosphere of Mars is only one percent that of Earth, so when our helicopter is on the Martian surface, it's already at the Earth equivalent of 100,000 feet up." Aung also explained that to make the Mars Helicopter fly in that low atmospheric density, engineers have to make everything lighter while not sacrificing its strength and durability.
Another specification of the Mars Helicopter is that it is pilot free. Aung explained that instead of pilots, the helicopter has an autonomous capability that will interpret commands from the ground, and then fly on its own.
The Mars Helicopter is categorized as a high-risk project. If ever it won't work, scientists and engineers at NASA are confident that it won't affect the activity of the Mars 2020 rover. However, if it becomes successful, it will be of great help in reaching locations that are not accessible through ground travel.
MARS 2020
The Mars Helicopter will be launched with the Mars 2020 rover. The rover's main objective is to conduct a geological survey of its landing site and whether it is habitable. Mars 2020 is also set to find evidence of ancient Martian life and assess its natural resources and find hazards for future humans that will eventually land on the planet.
Scientists have included various instrumentation in the Mars 2020 rover that will be used to collect and identify samples of soil and rock and put them on sample tubes.
