MARS MISSION HOPES UP AS 11-POUND EXPLORATION PLANE CREATED
Image Credit:nanowerk
The current situation on Mars
There are currently eight spacecraft, including three operated by NASA, orbiting Mars
These spacecraft gather images of the planet’s surface at a resolution of about one foot per pixel. Alongside these spacecraft
three rovers traverse the ground, mapping smaller areas of the planet with precision.
Soaring over Mars
However, due to the thin Martian atmosphere, flying on Mars presents several difficulties
The team from the University of Arizona is not the first to attempt it. Notably, the 4-pound Ingenuity chopper from NASA touched down in Jezero Crater on Mars last year.
The aircraft could only hover for roughly three minutes at a time and could only ascend to a maximum of 12 metres.
Image Credit:space
"These previous technologies have all been severely limited by energy."
Image Credit:sciencehowstuffwork
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"What we're proposing is basically using the energy in situ," he continued. It represents a bit of a step forward in terms of mission extension techniques. Since the fundamental query is
How can you travel for free?
How can you avoid needing solar panels and relying on batteries that need to be recharged by exploiting the wind and heat dynamics that already exist?