First Space Helicopter
His name is "Mars helicopter," and the small, stand-alone drone will be sent to Mars in just two years, taking advantage of the Mars 2020 mission ride.
The small helicopter is considered a high-risk mission, for its novelty. After all, having a helicopter get support in an atmosphere as rarefied as that of Mars is not a trivial challenge. What counts in favor is that the gravity of Mars is about 40% smaller than that of Earth.
The development of the Mars helicopter began in 2013, when NASA realized that the view of robots, comparable to that of a standing human, limits the choice of interesting targets to be studied. A low-flying helicopter can get a detailed, high-resolution map of the region, helping to chart routes better.
The vehicle weighs just 1.8 kilograms, is 60 centimeters high, and its double counter-rotating wings of 1.1 meters in circumference will try to take advantage of the fine Martian atmosphere spinning at almost 3,000 rpm - about 10 times the wings' rotation of a helicopter on Earth.
Solar cells are expected to recharge the lithium-ion batteries that feed the motors of the small drone, which also has a heating system to keep its instruments at operating temperature - the average temperature on Mars is around -60 ° C.
The helicopter will go to Mars hanging on the bottom of the Mars 2020 robot, which will leave it in a safe place and then pull away so that the vehicle can be put into operation and show its worth.
In its first flight, the helicopter will make a brief vertical ascent until 3 meters of altitude, where it will be for about 30 seconds. The initial testing campaign, scheduled to last 30 days, will include five flights at increasing distances, up to a few hundred meters, and durations of up to 90 seconds.
"We do not have a pilot and the Earth will be several light-minutes away, so there is no way to control this mission in real time. Instead, we have an autonomous capability that will be able to receive and interpret commands and then fly by own account, "Aung said.
Source: http://www.inovacaotecnologica.com.br/noticias/noticia.php?artigo=nasa-enviara-helicoptero-marte-2020&id=010130180514#.WvyO8KQvzIU
Question of the day: Would you apply to live there?
No comments:
Post a Comment