NASA will send a Helicopter to Mars in 2020

a reply to: gortex

Very cool! I would think they would be able to compensate for lower atmosphere by calculating in the lessened gravity and adjusting rotor blade size, length, and angle to make it fly. It won't fly for very long for sure, maybe a few minutes per run. Add on the signal time to and fro, and you basically have controls comparable to online gaming in north korea.

I did get a bit saddened by your thread though. No response from Phage, I guess the science community on ATS has lost a great contributor to the current political BS. Sad.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: burgerbuddy

I starred you for your cynicism but we can't deny that the results will at least be interesting?

Thanks, heli's don't work at 100k ft. ''

Let's see if there is some anti-grav tech used.

Maneuverability will tell the tale.

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Maybe. Three billion or so years ago.

a reply to: Vector99

Low pressure aerodynamics are not difficult to model. That sort of thing is part of NASA's name, after all.

a reply to: burgerbuddy

Thanks, heli's don't work at 100k ft. ''

Correct. Not if you want them to also work at 10 ft.

Quite do-able.

While the air pressure on Mars is a lot lower, there IS air pressure there.....and a much lower gravitational acceleration.

Light weight components, larger surface area on the blades for lift, and faster RPMs is all that is needed.

Fixed wing drones would work too as long as they are light enough, and with enough speed and wing surface area for lift.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: burgerbuddy

Thanks, heli's don't work at 100k ft. ''

Correct. Not if you want them to also work at 10 ft.

Need "thopters"

Ornithopters.

We going full blown Dune?

What next? Spice?

Barsoom sand worms?

Folding space.

lol.

Whatever it takes, sign me up. If I die on the way, I'm fertilizer for rocket lettuce and morels.


Porcini's are so 1990.

a reply to: TerminalVelocity

I fancy the powered glider drone concept myself, but I just like gliders.
They've actually been looking at the chopper concept for quite while.
ntrs.nasa.gov...

a reply to: burgerbuddy
Plenty of air on Arrakis. Dry air though, very dry. Like Mars in that respect.

I'm thinking that there is not enough substance to the air there for a helicoptor to get enough lift. I think it may be a waste of time and money just to learn that there is not enough substance to the air to work.

a reply to: rickymouse

I think that they have been using computers to design aircraft on Earth for quite a while and have probably done something like that in this case. I'm thinking they have good reason to think that it will work.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: burgerbuddy
Plenty of air on Arrakis. Dry air though, very dry. Like Mars in that respect.

Air pressure is not the same.

Still suits would be ok on both, tho.

What do they calculate the sq footage of the wings would be to compensate? What it's made of?

Do we have an elec motor to spin them fast enough?

I'm thinking of life size heli's not drones with a Go Cam.

Let's see the vids first.

a reply to: burgerbuddy

What do they calculate the sq footage of the wings would be to compensate? What it's made of? Do we have an elec motor to spin them fast enough?

I don't know.
Probably carbon composites.
Yes.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: rickymouse

I think that they have been using computers to design aircraft on Earth for quite a while and have probably done something like that in this case. I'm thinking they have good reason to think that it will work.

Getting funding to run the program is good reason to think it will work. I just do not think the atmosphere there is thick enough. But I base my knowledge on old data from the first mars missions, I never heard what the rovers found.

They will have a backup location in case it doesn't work there, maybe we will get a glimpse of a buzzard or eagle attacking it in their photos from the helicoptor,

a reply to: rickymouse

The surface atmosphere is pretty much as expected from before anything landed there. Them astro guys are pretty smart.

maybe we will get a glimpse of a buzzard or eagle attacking it in their photos from the helicoptor

It seems that, on Earth, it's the little birds that attack the raptors. Bullies.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: rickymouse

The surface atmosphere is pretty much as expected from before anything landed there. Them astro guys are pretty smart.

maybe we will get a glimpse of a buzzard or eagle attacking it in their photos from the helicoptor

It seems that, on Earth, it's the little birds that attack the raptors. Bullies.

There was a hawk flying around here one year and it went into a robins nest. The Robin came back and was chasing the hawk and gaining, beak straight out and I think it was going to shove it's beak up that hawks A**. That Robin meant business, it would have sacrificed itself to kill that hawk. The robin never returned to the nest, the hawk was never seen again either.

a reply to: rickymouse

I've heard stories about hang gliders being attacked by hawks. Could just be tall tales but defending one's territory doesn't depend on one's size.

Who knows what lurks in the skies of Mars?

Amee was the best thing about the Red Planet movie. This "realistic" amee simply will not do ;p

I didnt think a helicopter could fly that far. Why have we been wasting time with rockets when we could just send some Chinooks to the ISS.

a reply to: Forensick

Arr Arr

Humor.