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NASA engineers are finalizing the design of a small helicopter that will be sent to Mars as part of the Mars 2020 mission. The aircraft will have to fly in the thin atmosphere of the red planet and survive extremely cold nights. and operate alone, because it will be millions of kilometers from the nearest pilot, who will direct him from the Earth. However, the engineers believe they have developed a model to meet these challenges, among others.
"Never before has a heavier-than-air vehicle been flying into the thin atmosphere of Mars, and we are delighted that our aeronautical experts can contribute to this important space mission," said Susan Gorton, a member of the Canadian Space Agency. project, in a statement from NASA.
Because of the properties of the Martian atmosphere, the pressure exerted on its surface is equal to that existing at about 33 000 meters from the sea. Altitude, having reached neither a helicopter nor half that distance . Our planet.
- In this sense, NASA specialists say that their aircraft will be able to reach a height of 4.6 meters thanks to its two rotating blades, which will rotate at a speed of 2400 rotations per minute. minute, 10 times faster than a normal helicopter.
- Another useful feature is the small size of the device, which, according to NASA, will look like a softball and weigh a little less than two pounds.
- On the other hand, a solar panel above the vehicle It will recharge the batteries, which will serve both to turn the blades and to prevent the vehicle to cool at night.
A total of five flights with a maximum duration of 90 seconds are planned. Beyond the main goal – fly a helicopter on Mars – the camera will carry a small camera to take images of the surface and transmit them to Earth.
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