The task of exploring Mars with the next helicopter will seek signs of life, water and prepare for people to set foot in the network of gazaries here in the future.
Simulate the operation of Mars Chopper helicopter on Mars. Video: Space
Small Drone Ingenuity proves that helicopter can play a revolutionary role in Mars discovery with 72 flights. Based on the success of Ingenity, NASA is developing a large SUV drone model called Mars Chopper, using 6 rotors, each rotor has 6 wings to push vehicles in the thin atmosphere of Mars.
Scientists also made many proposals to make the most of this advanced helicopter. One of the newly proposed tasks called Nighthawk, described at the planet and moon science conference in Woodlands, Texas, Space On 5/4 reported.
In Nighthawk missions, Mars Chopper, vehicles do not need support from self -propelled robots such as Ingenity and Perseverance robot, will glide through deep canyons connecting each other, across the sand dunes and lava lines in Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus, the interesting area is located in the intersection of Vallles Marineris and Tharsis volcanic volcanic system.
One of the key goals of Nighthawk is to study the areas of Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus, once a huge volcano that has been eroded deeply and freezing, to seek potential biological traces and appropriate levels for people to explore in the future. The notable area in this region is Noctis Landing, which is said to be the right place for the mission to have a driver in the future. Nighhawk mission will also learn about the characteristics of hydrological and volcanoes, their evolutionary history and Noctis volcano exploration and its massive glacier.
To accomplish the goal, Nighthawk will be equipped with 3 scientific equipment weighing only 3 kg compared to the 5 kg capacity of Mars Chopper. This allows significantly higher flying helicopters to reach a height of 1,500 m and achieve scientific goals. Scientific devices include OCCAM, 9 -color camera camera for location and geological environment, Nirac and PMWS spectroscopy, neutron detectors to assess the abundance of water near the ground. Nighthawk will operate for at least 240 days of Mars, conducting 100 flights, each flight is up to 3 km.
According to Pascal Lee, the leader of the Seti Institute and NASA’s AMES Research Center in California, the range of operations, flying heights and cargo capacity of Mars Chopper will help Nighthawk task to complete a series of scientific goals.