SPACE — A new article in a journal outlines a quadcopter design that could help China’s mission to collect Martian soil samples. China plans to launch a Mars sample return mission around 2028 or 2030.
The article corresponds to a presentation by Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) officials in early 2023. The official said helicopters would be part of mission planning.
The article published in the journal Acta Astronautica and written by researchers at the State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), northeast China presents the design of a Mars quadcopter. Other planetary helicopters can be folded, increasing the efficiency and flexibility of sampling on the Red Planet.
The article also describes the structural architecture and avionics of the helicopter, tentatively named MarsBird-VII. The flying robot will save space during the trip to Mars. After landing, he can deploy all his equipment independently. The robot is said to be capable of collecting samples of up to 100 grams.
Also Read: Mars Ingenuity Helicopter Takes Aerial Photos of Perseverance Robot
The quadcopter will use a navigation method that combines inertial and binocular vision to fly without human control on Mars. MarsBird iterations have been tested, but the MarsBird-VII version has not yet undergone flight tests in simulated Mars regions.
China’s Zhurong Mars rover takes a panoramic view of the Red Planet. Seen in the foreground are Zhurong’s solar panels and communications equipment. Image: CNSA
There are no clear plans for the launch of the vehicle yet. However, if the Quadcopter is flown on China’s scheduled Tianwen-3 Mars mission, it still won’t be the first helicopter on Mars.
Currently, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter is still the only flying robot on Mars. He landed on red land with the Perseverance rover robot in 2021. So far, he has completed 67 flights.
Also read: NASA’s Dragonfly, a nuclear-powered helicopter that will conquer Titan on Saturn
MarsBird-VII is also not China’s first Mars helicopter design. China’s National Space Science Center (NSSC) unveiled a different first concept in 2021. Source: Space.com
2023-12-06 09:27:00
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