In April 2021, NASA ushered in a new era with the Ingenuity Mars helicopter. In this way, NASA, which can also scan the red planet from above, has made another important development. Now, University of Arizona researchers are preparing to take this a step further.
Non-powered aircraft will be able to glide on Mars for days
A team of engineers at the University is working on a non-motorized glider that can glide on the surface of Mars. A paper published this month in the journal Aerospace revealed the preliminary design of a Mars glider that could fill the science-observation gap between surface rovers and orbiting spacecraft.
The aircraft in question will be equipped with sensors and cameras. This non-motorized aircraft, which is expected to fly on the surface of Mars for hours or even days, will use wind energy. NASA research scientist Alexandre Kling noted the first few kilometers between the Martian surface and its atmosphere, in a statement at the University of Arizona on Thursday:
“This is where all the exchanges between surface and atmosphere happen. This is where dust is collected and sent to the atmosphere, where trace gases mix, modulation of large-scale winds by mountain valley flows takes place. And we don’t have a lot of data on that.
The concept aircraft of the University of Arizona team has a wingspan of 3.4 meters and weighs only 5 kilograms. The plane, which is thought to be sent with another Mars mission, could be very useful on the red planet. It is stated that the aircraft is also designed in a foldable structure for easy transport.
Mars has a thin atmosphere that makes flight difficult, but Ingenuity has revealed that controlled flight is possible despite all this. Although this solar powered vehicle is quite exciting, unfortunately it cannot travel long distances. The Mars helicopter is also not very successful at reaching high altitudes.
NASA seems to accelerate its research on Mars with the new glider. So what do you think about this plane that will float in the skies of Mars? You can share your views with us in the comments section.
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