NASA is testing the next generation aircraft of the future on Mars

Although Earth and Mars are two very different planets, they have become a common testing ground for the discovery and development of future aircraft designs. This initiative revolves around NASA’s development of a new generation of Mars helicopters that includes testing both on Earth and on the surface of Mars. A new rotor that could be used with the vehicle was recently tested at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and spun at nearly supersonic speeds (Mach 0.95), according to NASA.

Mars became a testing ground for new generation aircraft

While NASA continues its new type of rotor tests on Earth, the Ingenuity Mars helicopter is breaking new altitude and air speed records on Mars for experimental flight tests. NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, developed by JPL, began service on the Red Planet in 2021 as a technology demonstration. After showing that flying on Mars is possible, how the position of aircraft in future explorations will be shaped is being tested with Ingenuity. NASA said it obtained valuable benchmark data by testing the helicopter on both Earth and Mars.

NASA is testing new, advanced carbon fiber rotor blades that could be used for larger, more capable Mars helicopters. These wings are about 10 centimeters longer than those found on the Ingenuity helicopter and are stronger thanks to a different design. However, in the statement made by NASA, it was said that “as the wing tips approach supersonic speeds, the turbulence that causes vibration can quickly get out of control.”

Engineers used JPL’s space simulator facility to mimic conditions on Mars on Earth. Over three weeks in September, a team closely monitored sensors, meters and cameras and conducted numerous trials at increasing speeds and pitch angles to see how the wings performed.

Vital information is collected

The blades spun up to 3,500 revolutions per minute, which was 750 revolutions per minute faster than the Ingenuity blades. According to the team, these wings are both more efficient and now ready to fly. On the other hand, the Ingenuity helicopter, which was initially expected to fly only five times, went far beyond expectations. It has repeatedly extended its planned 30-day mission, flying 66 flights over the past two and a half years.

Thanks to this extended mission period, NASA was able to collect data that could be valuable for developing future flying models. “Over the past nine months, we’ve doubled our maximum airspeed and altitude, increased our vertical and horizontal acceleration rate, and even learned to descend slower,” Travis Brown, Ingenuity’s principal engineer at JPL, said in a statement.

NASA set altitude and speed records with Ingenuity during its flights, reaching a height of 24 meters and a speed of 10 meters per second. At the same time, it will be proven that much slower and softer landings than planned can be achieved, while pitch and roll performances will be tested next month. Thanks to the data collected here, valuable information will be obtained for aero-mechanical models.