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NASA's first Mars helicopter is about to receive final approval for its launch after passing several key tests.
The March Helicopter Flight Demonstration Project will be launched next summer with the Rover March 2020 and land on the red planet in February 2021.
While the rover looks for signs of the past life on the red planet and caches samples for a future return to Earth, the helicopter will fly over Mars during a series of demonstration flights. Future missions could see such helicopters in search of the next rovers destination.
Related: NASA Mars Rover 2020 Mission in Pictures (Gallery)
This NASA March helicopter flight model image was taken on February 14, 2019 in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The aluminum base plate, the side posts and the transom around the helicopter protect the landing legs of the helicopter and the attachment points that will hold it against the belly of the rover March 2020.
(Image: © NASA / JPL-Caltech)
"No one has yet built a Mars helicopter, so we are constantly entering new territories," said MiMi Aung, project leader of the Mars helicopter at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the NASA in Pasadena, California. said in a statement.
Back in January, the flight model flew in a simulated martian environment in the JPL space simulator, a vacuum chamber with a diameter of about 8 meters. Then he was transferred to a Lockheed Martin Space facility in Denver.
At its new location, the helicopter's compatibility with the Mars helicopter delivery system was tested. This system will carry the helicopter under the belly of the March 2020 rover during launch and cruise to Mars. The helicopter will separate from the rover after landing.
In Denver, the connections and mechanisms between the delivery system and the helicopter have been tested for compatibility. The coupled system suffered vibrations similar to those that occur during launch and cruising. In addition, the helicopter and the distribution system were placed in a thermal vacuum chamber to see how they behaved in cold weather (minus 200 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 129 degrees Celsius), similar to the conditions encountered in the past. 39, space l surface.
With these tests completed, the helicopter returned to the JPL on May 11 for several other procedures, including rotating the rotor blades and installing a new solar panel. More tests are coming, but the end is in sight – at least for work here on Earth
"We hope to complete our latest tests and enhancements and deliver the helicopter to the High Bay 1 Clean Room for integration with the rover this summer," said Aung, "but we'll never really get it over with the tests as long as we do not fly. " March. "
As the helicopter is a demonstrator, there are no scientific instruments on board. its main purpose is rather to show that the flight propelled into the Martian atmosphere is achievable. The air of the red planet is barely 1% denser than that of the Earth.
Even though the minicopter can take off, there are other obstacles to overcome, such as the time lag needed to control it from Earth. (It takes between 4 and 24 minutes for the signals to travel between Earth and Mars, depending on the position of the two planets in the space.) Imaging will also be tested to check the capabilities of the planet. Helicopter for transmitting high resolution color photos.
"Future Mars missions could engage second-generation helicopters to add an aerial dimension to their explorations," NASA officials said. "They could investigate previously unknown or hard-to-reach destinations, such as scouting for human crews or carrying small payloads from one place to another." But before that happens, a vehicle would test must prove that it is possible. "
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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