NASA has recently provided funding for an exciting new project called MAGGIE, which aims to search for water on Mars from the planet’s atmosphere. This early-stage aerial vehicle has received its first tranche of funding, although there is no specific timeline for its first flight yet. Meanwhile, the Ingenuity helicopter, originally built for just five flights, has exceeded expectations and completed over 70 liftoffs on Mars. It is currently assisting the Perseverance rover in its search for ancient water and signs of life on the arid planet.
The success of Ingenuity serves as a testament to the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, which has paved the way for MAGGIE’s development. The agency officials believe that MAGGIE could follow in Ingenuity’s footsteps and further explore Mars from the air. MAGGIE, short for Mars Aerial and Ground Intelligent Explorer, is a solar-powered aircraft designed to take off and land vertically. It has an impressive range, capable of flying up to 111 miles on a single charge and cruising for nearly 10,000 miles during a single Mars year, equivalent to approximately 24 months on Earth.
Operating at an altitude of 3,300 feet above the Martian surface, MAGGIE will focus on three key scientific investigations. Firstly, it will search for water, a vital resource that could potentially support future human missions to Mars. Secondly, it aims to gain a better understanding of the source of the weak Mars magnetic field. Finally, MAGGIE will search for elusive methane signals, which could be an indicator of potential life on the planet.
However, it is important to note that MAGGIE is still in its early stages of development. Principal investigator Ge-Cheng Zha of Coflow Jet, LLC acknowledges that while the concept appears feasible, further study is required under Martian atmospheric conditions. The mission’s technical notes highlight the need to understand the challenges posed by the Martian atmosphere, which is less than 1% of Earth’s at sea level.
Despite its early-stage status, the Phase 1 funding from NIAC allows MAGGIE to continue its development. Zha emphasizes that the aircraft could revolutionize our capability to explore the Martian surface and generate significant public engagement due to its audacity and versatility in exploring, studying, and imaging various environments.
Although MAGGIE’s funding under NIAC does not guarantee a future flight date, there are other Mars flyers on the horizon. The Mars sample return mission, scheduled for the 2030s, may include two helicopter fetchers if the Perseverance rover encounters difficulties in delivering the collected samples to the return vehicle.
In conclusion, NASA’s funding of MAGGIE represents an exciting step forward in the search for water on Mars. While the technology is still in its early stages, the success of Ingenuity provides hope for MAGGIE’s future exploration of the Red Planet from the skies. With its potential to revolutionize our understanding of Mars and engage the public, MAGGIE holds promise for uncovering new insights into the mysteries of our neighboring planet.
