Scientists propose sending an artificial "

06 July 2022, 20:32 | Technologies
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Engineers from NASA and the University of Arizona are developing a new aircraft that will be sent to Mars. A device that will resemble an albatross could help researchers unravel the mysteries of the Red Planet, according to Forbes.

The small Ingenuity helicopter that NASA sent to Mars in 2020 was an incredible success. During his stay on the Red Planet, he has already managed to make 27 flights, taking pictures of the surface of Mars..

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While Ingenuity can do things the rover can't, it has its limitations.. It is very small with a tiny battery which means it can only take off for three minutes and only travel 12 meters..

Therefore, scientists decided to develop something that is much better suited for further research - a glider that looks like an albatross.. There are several rovers on the surface of Mars, and several stations in orbit. But the intermediate layer remains uncovered, preventing scientists from accessing a massive dataset of climate, geology, volcanoes, and canyons..

“It is here that all exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere take place, here dust is collected and sent to the atmosphere, gases mix and large-scale winds are modulated by mountain-valley flows.. We just don't have much data on all of this,"

He and his colleagues set out to develop the concept of a lightweight, low-cost wind-powered glider.. According to the idea, the device will resemble an albatross with a wingspan of about three meters and a weight of about five kilograms.. It will hover over the surface of Mars for several days using only wind power..



Flight, temperature and gas sensors, as well as cameras will be installed on board the device.. Scientists want to send several of these " Perhaps they will be delivered using small cubesats, in which they will be placed in a folded state, and then unfolded.

Previously, NASA gave the Perseverance rover the ability to independently select targets for collecting samples, which should accelerate the development of science on Mars.. Without a direct command from Earth, the rover fired at two targets with its SuperCam instrument..




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