NASA's Martian Helicopter Passes Flight Tests Successfully
The US Space Agency conducted the first and last flight test of its innovative helicopter designed to explore Mars. The device spent about an hour in the air and successfully coped with the tasks assigned to it. The device should make its next flight already on the Red Planet.
As you know, the gravity of our "neighbor" is only a third of the earth. In addition, there is 99% less air there. All this can be compared with flying at an altitude of 30 km. In this regard, the tests of the new apparatus were carried out at a special site, where the air was replaced with a special mixture with carbon dioxide, and the necessary gravity was simulated using a cable.
Now, according to the plan, a few months after landing on the Red Planet, the “Martian” helicopter will perform several short flights. Each of them will last no more than one and a half minutes. The device will operate offline, as it takes half an hour to receive a command from Earth. According to the developers, their device will be able to gain height up to 3 meters.
Recall that we already wrote about NASA plans to use in the study of Mars helicopterthat can fly close to the rover and conduct reconnaissance from the air. The device will be sent to the Red Planet together with the all-terrain vehicle Mars 2020 and will reach our neighbor in the Solar System already in 2021.
As you know, the gravity of our "neighbor" is only a third of the earth. In addition, there is 99% less air there. All this can be compared with flying at an altitude of 30 km. In this regard, the tests of the new apparatus were carried out at a special site, where the air was replaced with a special mixture with carbon dioxide, and the necessary gravity was simulated using a cable.
Now, according to the plan, a few months after landing on the Red Planet, the “Martian” helicopter will perform several short flights. Each of them will last no more than one and a half minutes. The device will operate offline, as it takes half an hour to receive a command from Earth. According to the developers, their device will be able to gain height up to 3 meters.
Recall that we already wrote about NASA plans to use in the study of Mars helicopterthat can fly close to the rover and conduct reconnaissance from the air. The device will be sent to the Red Planet together with the all-terrain vehicle Mars 2020 and will reach our neighbor in the Solar System already in 2021.
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