But, Did You Ever Fly a Helicopter ON MARS?!?!?

A new helicopter designed to fly on Mars could help pave the way for human habitation of the Red Planet. The NASA-designed spacecraft is due to become the first heavier-than-air spacecraft to fly through the Martian atmosphere, following its arrival at that world in 2021.

NASA’s Mars Helicopter, weighing in at just four pounds, will ride to the Red Planet while strapped to the belly of the Mars 2020 rover. Once the Martian rover touches down on the surface of Mars, the Mars Helicopter will be deployed.

The Mars Helicopter is ready to make history as the first heavier-than-air spacecraft to fly through the atmosphere of Mars. The aluminum base plate, side posts, and crossbeam seen here protect the helicopter’s landing legs and attachment points that will hold the craft to the Mars 2020 rover during the journey to Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

“Nobody’s built a Mars Helicopter before, so we are continuously entering new territory. Our flight model — the actual vehicle that will travel to Mars — has recently passed several important tests,” said MiMi Aung, project manager for the Mars Helicopter at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Sure, the Food is Good, but this Place Lacks Atmosphere…

The atmosphere of Mars is only about one percent as dense as air at sea level on Earth, equivalent to the air density found more than 30,000 meters (100,000 feet) above sea level. This tenuous atmosphere provides little lift for spacecraft to glide on, presenting engineers with an unparalleled challenge.

In January 2019, the Mars Helicopter was tested in a simulated Martian environment, provided by Jet Propulsion…