Helicopter could be 'scout' for Mars rovers.

Yes please!!!

Getting around on Mars is tricky business. Each NASA rover has delivered a wealth of information about the history and composition of the Red Planet, but a rover's vision is limited by the view of onboard cameras, and images from spacecraft orbiting Mars are the only other clues to where to drive it. To have a better sense of where to go and what's worth studying on Mars, it could be useful to have a low-flying scout.

This is a fantastic idea. We could possibly watch raw video of the martian surface, terrain, and skies.
It seems like an obvious next step for rovers.

Enter the Mars Helicopter, a proposed add-on to Mars rovers of the future that could potentially triple the distance these vehicles currently drive in a Martian day, and deliver a new level of visual information for choosing which sites to explore.

Read more at: phys.org...

I for one hopes this happens. And who knows maybe they splurge and attach an HD Go-pro Cam instead of the camera on clearance .
I would watch these for hours.


I think the design is kind of hoky, but as long as its functional and we are able to view the recon footage I'll be happy.
Please NASA, can we have one of these?

EDIT: Here is a video explaining there progress and concepts on this thing. I enjoyed checking it out. Though some of you may find it interesting.


So do you guys think this will actually happen?

a reply to: CitizenJack

I think this is an outstanding idea. This can enhance the Rovers accomplishments by several fold. I love it!

There is also a proposed Mars airplane mission:

NASA/JPL: ARES Mars Airplane

They never thought about doing this before? Lol they've had Air Hogs forever now.

Perhaps in the thinner atmosphere they have not had the tech to power such a vehicle from sunlight until the latest battery and solar panel developments?
IDK but aircraft on mars present some interesting problems and a lighter gravity plus side....I cant say what the balance point would be between power atmospheric winds, and density,possible sand storms and any other factors would add up to....flight.... or....... not practical as yet....

a reply to: CitizenJack

MARS ROVER FAKERY FINALLY BUSTED. A photo from the Mars Curiosity Rover that NASA most likely accidentally released to the public, (and accidental government leaks have happened many times) show a man clearly leaning over the Curiosity Rover doing some type of fix or maintenance...

www.pinterest.com...

The whole Mars Rover project over these many years may have been a front to justify a large budget directed towards such a project, but the money most likely was directed towards other government projects, like Black Projects.

For many years people glancing and studying Mars images released from NASA's Rovers, have noticed objects and formations that look remarkable man made, along with animals looking fossils sometimes. Turns out there was a real good reason for that, because those objects where on Earth to begin with.

originally posted by: Ringlerum
a reply to: CitizenJack

MARS ROVER FAKERY FINALLY BUSTED. A photo from the Mars Curiosity Rover that NASA most likely accidentally released to the public, (and accidental government leaks have happened many times) show a man clearly leaning over the Curiosity Rover doing some type of fix or maintenance...

www.pinterest.com...

The whole Mars Rover project over these many years may have been a front to justify a large budget directed towards such a project, but the money most likely was directed towards other government projects, like Black Projects.

For many years people glancing and studying Mars images released from NASA's Rovers, have noticed objects and formations that look remarkable man made, along with animals looking fossils sometimes. Turns out there was a real good reason for that, because those objects where on Earth to begin with.

DO you know the definition of the word pareidolia?

a reply to: CitizenJackI am fairly sure that the atmosphere is too thin on mars to support lift for a helicopter.

a reply to: JadeStar

DO you know the definition of the word pareidolia?

Considering the sheer amount of times it is used by people, such as yourself, as a gag with which to stifle just about anyone who sees things that they, in theory at least, are not supposed to be seeing in space photography...i'd say it's a very good bet that the member has indeed heard of and knows about pareidolia.

After all, it has become the 21st equivalent of 1950's / 1960's swamp gas, Venus, mass hallucination, so i'd imagine it is unavoidable to have heard of it.

originally posted by: phantomjack
a reply to: CitizenJackI am fairly sure that the atmosphere is too thin on mars to support lift for a helicopter.

This kind of thing has been suggested before now, and the argument against such flying devices was always that the atmosphere of Mars was too thin to support them. Gliders were also suggested but were discounted for the same reasons.

I'd imagine a balloon would have more luck, as it wouldn't require aerodynamics and conventional wing or rotor based lift dynamics, only a gas to provide lift.

Make these balloons and their cameras and transceivers micro sized, and have a veritable army of them scattered in all directions, communication would be a piggy-backed affair, with one micro sized balloon communicating only with it's next nearest neighbour, in a daisy chain manner, back to the lander which will upload the data to the orbiter. This will negate the need for powerful transceivers, which would be too large and heavy for micro sized devices to carry.

originally posted by: Ringlerum
a reply to: CitizenJack

MARS ROVER FAKERY FINALLY BUSTED. A photo from the Mars Curiosity Rover that NASA most likely accidentally released to the public, (and accidental government leaks have happened many times) show a man clearly leaning over the Curiosity Rover doing some type of fix or maintenance...

How did he get up to Mars and manage to fix the rover without a spacesuit?

a reply to: CitizenJack

A Balloon would do better. This thing will get ruined quickly. Build a no leak balloon where you can recompress the gas into a cylinder. If you want to guide it put props on it. At least if the props get destroyed you can still let the wind blow the balloon around mars. Even better make the surface of the balloon a solar cell and receiver antennae as well .

originally posted by: Xeven
a reply to: CitizenJack

A Balloon would do better. This thing will get ruined quickly. Build a no leak balloon where you can recompress the gas into a cylinder. If you want to guide it put props on it. At least if the props get destroyed you can still let the wind blow the balloon around mars. Even better make the surface of the balloon a solar cell and receiver antennae as well .

Common misconception about Mars's ability to support aerodynamic flight.

A balloon would be much harder than a plane or helicopter on Mars due to Mars's low atmospheric pressure. Mars's lower gravity coupled with the fact that it often produces high winds indicates planes and helicopters are in fact possible on Mars. In fact, it may even be possible to have human powered flight when we finally get there.

a reply to: MysterX

If you have a moment watch the video I poseted. They recreated the martian atmosphere in a chamber and used this a a basis for testing lift and flight.

Yes the atmosphere is thinner however scientist have worked it out. Its actualy a neat video from JPL.

a reply to: JadeStar

Thats fantastic, thanks jade.

I prefer the idea of a helicopter scout for the rover as it should have more maneuverability capabilities.

If im not mistaken though it seems the ARES appears to be an autonomous vehicle separate of a rover, which would support a different yet similar (exciting) kind of mission all together.

a reply to: CitizenJack

I'll have a look, thanks.

originally posted by: JadeStar

originally posted by: Xeven
a reply to: CitizenJack

A Balloon would do better. This thing will get ruined quickly. Build a no leak balloon where you can recompress the gas into a cylinder. If you want to guide it put props on it. At least if the props get destroyed you can still let the wind blow the balloon around mars. Even better make the surface of the balloon a solar cell and receiver antennae as well .

Common misconception about Mars's ability to support aerodynamic flight.

A balloon would be much harder than a plane or helicopter on Mars due to Mars's low atmospheric pressure. Mars's lower gravity coupled with the fact that it often produces high winds indicates planes and helicopters are in fact possible on Mars. In fact, it may even be possible to have human powered flight when we finally get there.

A balloon that could inflate and deflate when desired seems like a good idea. On a calm day inflate it and snap photos. Then slowly deflate and wait for the next available day. Maybe they could even send 50 or so such devices in one trip.

The blades are pitched the wrong way for counter rotating operation.
Unfolding Gossamer blades a 38 times the size of those needed for flight on Earth would cause wind instability.

in the movie...War of the Worlds.... the Martian flight machines had long, say 100 foot long snake-like arms/appendages which were equipped with a boatload of mini sensors so the Martian piloted saucers could 'look' into rooms, caves, or other obstructions which could harbor fugitive humans or treasure-plunder for that matter

a detached sensor platform (flying drone/helicopter/blimp) would add needless risk-of-failure elements to the communication network of the mission

originally posted by: CitizenJack
a reply to: JadeStar

Thats fantastic, thanks jade.

I prefer the idea of a helicopter scout for the rover as it should have more maneuverability capabilities.

If im not mistaken though it seems the ARES appears to be an autonomous vehicle separate of a rover, which would support a different yet similar (exciting) kind of mission all together.

Yes ARES's mission would be independent of a rover (kinda like the orbiters are) but would augment the rover's work where necessary (like the orbiters do).

ARES would fill in the gap between ground science and what can be done from an orbiter.