Giant aircraft from NASA to search for water on Mars

A scientist says the aircraft could "revolutionize our ability to explore almost the entire Martian surface."

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Giant aircraft from NASA to search for water on Mars

NASA has received initial funding to develop a giant aircraft capable of flying at high altitudes in the Martian atmosphere to search for traces of water on the Red Planet.

The solar-powered vehicle, called the Mars Aerial and Ground Intelligent Explorer or Maggie, is expected to fly in the Martian atmosphere with vertical take-off and landing capabilities, similar to NASA's pioneering Ingenuity Mars helicopter.

According to a report by Independent Türkçe, the space agency stated this month that the Mars aircraft would be able to fly approximately 180 km at an altitude of 1,000 meters on a full battery, and is expected to have a total range of over 16,000 km during one year on Mars.

NASA TO CONDUCT THREE STUDIES ON MARS

Using this aircraft, NASA hopes to conduct three studies on the Red Planet's atmosphere and geophysical properties; these include the search for water, research into the origin of the planet's weak magnetic field, and tracking the elusive source of methane signals on Mars. According to a NASA blog post, "Maggie would be able to perform the first global-scale atmospheric mission on Mars and revolutionize our ability to explore almost the entire Martian surface."

However, the space agency did not provide new details on when the vehicle might make its first flight. One of the main challenges in developing aircraft to fly on Mars is getting them airborne and ensuring they fly in a controlled manner in the Red Planet's very thin atmosphere. The surface air pressure on Mars is as low as the air pressure encountered at 30-40 km above sea level on Earth.

Until now, vehicles sent to explore other planets, such as NASA's Curiosity or China's Zhurong, have mostly remained ground-based.

However, following the success of the pioneering Ingenuity helicopter, which is part of NASA's Perseverance Mars mission, aerial missions on Mars have become attractive.

Initially planned as a technology demonstration for powered flight on another planet, the 1.8 kg Ingenuity helicopter achieved success in take-off and exploration on Mars and soon "graduated" from its test phase to contribute to scientific research.

Following in NASA's footsteps, China has also developed its own "foldable" Mars helicopter to enable the country's space agency to collect samples from the Red Planet in a future mission.

While the concept "seems feasible," aerospace researcher Ge-Cheng Zha calls for further study of the aircraft's performance "under Martian atmospheric conditions."

News Source: 12punto