| Title | Mars Mission Readies Tiny Chopper for Red Planet Flight | |
| Date | Thursday September 05 2019, @07:42PM | |
| Author | janrinok | |
| Topic | ||
| from the martians-close-down-2-airports-in-drone-scare dept. | ||
Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Engineers preparing the next American Mars rover have installed one of its most exciting experiments - a chopper. The mini-helicopter is regarded as a bonus on the 2020 mission.
It will be the first such aircraft deployed on another world. If it works, it'll be amazing, but if it doesn't it won't detract from the overall goals.
The US space agency's (Nasa) next Mars rover is a near-copy of the one-tonne Curiosity vehicle that has operated successfully in Gale Crater since 2012.
The new mission will be aimed at a different target - a 50km-wide depression called Jezero Crater.
Engineers are nearing the end of the rover's assembly at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
They've positioned the 1.8kg "Scout" chopper under the big robot. The idea is that the rover will find a safe place to put the aircraft on the ground shortly after landing. That does mean, however, that the twin-rotor device must travel with some protection.
The rover's touchdown mechanism uses rockets and these will kick up stones and dust. As a consequence, a shield is being fitted around the helicopter to deflect any debris. There are no scientific instruments on the solar-powered Scout. Its job is merely to demonstrate the practicality of flight on another planet.
Like the American rover, Rosalind Franklin will search for life signs, but it will do this on a flat equatorial plain known as Oxia. Nasa launched a schools essay-writing competition on Wednesday to find an engaging name for its rover. The new name to replace "Mars 2020" will be announced in February, exactly a year before landing day.
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printed from SoylentNews, Mars Mission Readies Tiny Chopper for Red Planet Flight on 2024-05-01 00:48:20