NASA Helicopter has been zipping about on Mars, Paving the Way for Drone Exploration
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter spent the summer orbiting Mars. Its success is being called "extra terrestrial Wright Brother’s moment" and has opened up the possibility of otherworldly aviation.
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This weekend, Mars has big news. A small helicopter flew around Mars' surface in a small helicopter. NPR's Geoff Brumfiel reported that it was exceeding all expectations.
BYLINE, GEOFF BRUMFIEL: The helicopter was transported to Mars by the larger Perseverence Rover. The rover has rolled just over a mile so far, but the helicopter is going further. It is whizzing ahead.
TEDDY TZANETOS - It is not a Race, Absolutely Not a Race.
BRUMFIEL. Teddy Tzanetos, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is the operations leader for the Mars helicopter called Ingenuity. He is also a keen drone pilot.
TZANETOS - I love to go out and fly fixed-wing rotorcrafts, helicopters, quads in a park.
BRUMFIEL - But flying on Mars is a whole different ballgame, Tzanetos tells you. Two problems exist. The atmosphere only makes up 1% of the total atmosphere on Earth.
TZANETOS - To fly at 1% Earth's density you need a very, very light vehicle.
BRUMFIEL - Second, it takes many hours for a signal from a remote controller on Earth to reach a Mars drone. Ingenuity cannot be remotely controlled. It must fly by itself.
TZANETOS: All things must be autonomous. The aircraft must be capable of controlling itself, responding to wind gusts, and reacting to changes in the aircraft's performance.
BRUMFIEL : That's a major reason why no one has ever flown to Mars. In the past, computers and cameras that a drone needed for its autopilot system were too heavy. Using super-lightweight microchips, Ingenuity solved this problem.
TZANETOS - We're using the most powerful computers that we have ever sent into space. This is a processor from a few generations ago.
BRUMFIEL - That's correct. The cell phone processors in your pocket are flying a drone to Mars. August Ingenuity flew across a series of sand dunes located in the area of Mars called Seitah. It was difficult terrain that the Perseverence Rover couldn't navigate.
TZANETOS: It's a long way to reach the bottom of Seitah. They're now heading north.
BRUMFIEL - I know you said it wasn't a race but you won. You were the first to get there, didn't?
TZANETOS (Laughter). No, there isn't a race. We are, you know, the forward scout.
BRUMFIEL - Scouting ground for Perseverance is a major part of Ingenuity’s mission. This is partly because the tiny helicopter is a test vehicle. It is not intended for scientific research. Tzanetos believes that this will change in time. The drones will be valuable for explorers.
TZANETOS: A TZANETOS rotorcraft can fly to the edge of cliffs and capture images. We can dive into caves. This new perspective will allow us to explore Mars from a completely different perspective.
BRUMFIEL - And it's more than Mars. NASA is developing a huge drone that will explore Saturn's moon Titan. It is about the same size as a small car. Elizabeth Turtle, principal investigator on the Titan mission, explains how it works. It has a thick atmosphere with very little gravity.
ELIZABETH TURTLE - It's physically easier to fly on Titan than on Earth.
BRUMFIEL - Turtle and her team closely monitor Ingenuity’s progress. They will learn more about flying on other planets. It's also cool, she adds.
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BRUMFIEL - Although Ingenuity may not be flying at the moment, it is still on Mars' surface, waiting for Perseverence to catch up. It's not a race, however.
Geoff Brumfiel is a NPR News reporter.
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