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.
-- submitted from IRC
Related Stories
Mars-bound spaceship experiencing technical issues: NASA:
Mars 2020, the spaceship carrying NASA's new rover Perseverance to the Red Planet, is experiencing technical difficulties and is running on essential systems only, the agency said Thursday.
"Data indicate the spacecraft had entered a state known as safe mode, likely because a part of the spacecraft was a little colder than expected while Mars 2020 was in Earth's shadow," NASA said.
The spaceship has left Earth's shadow and the temperatures are now normal.
[...] Matt Wallace, the mission's deputy project manager, said that the fact that the spaceship had entered safe mode was not overly concerning.
"That's perfectly fine, the spacecraft is happy there," he said. "The team is working through that telemetry, they're going to look through the rest of the spacecraft health. "So far, everything I've seen looks good, so we'll know more in a little bit."
Related:
Perseverance, Ingenuity begin seven month journey to Mars
Atlas 5 launches Mars 2020 mission
Previously:
Mars 2020 Rover to Include a Mars Helicopter
Mars Helicopter Enters Final Testing
Mars Mission Readies Tiny Chopper for Red Planet Flight
NASA Reveals the New Wavy Martian Wheels it Thinks Can Crush the Red Planet
Three Missions to Mars Happening this Month
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 05 2019, @10:18PM
Finally two Arnie quotes mesh sense:
“Get your arse to choppa”
(Score: 2) by legont on Friday September 06 2019, @02:09AM
According to many sources such as this one https://mathscinotes.com/2012/10/earth-altitude-with-equivalent-pressure-to-mars/ [mathscinotes.com] mars atmosphere pressure is compartible to earth one at 30-60 km.
The record helicopter ever achieved on earth is 12,442 meters https://www.google.com/search?q=helicopter+record+altitude&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 [google.com]
How about they break a few records here at home before flying over and more to the point before bragging about it?
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.