The albatross of Mars. A glider is built by scientists to fly in Mars' atmosphere.
This form of aircraft is already being tested by researchers at altitudes close to 5,000 meters above sea level, where the Earth's atmosphere is thinner, and under conditions that are similar to those on Mars.
A glider without engines has been developed by a research team from the University of Arizona and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This glider is anticipated to be a crucial research tool on Mars in the upcoming years and will allow for a thorough examination of the Red Planet's weather.
Albatrosses on Mars
The new craft will only weigh 5 kilos, be able to stay in the Martian atmosphere for several days at a time and be powered by flight, temperature, and gas sensors in addition to cameras, according to the team's study that was published in the journal "aerospace" (Aerospace).
The technology behind the aircraft is similar to the flight pattern of the albatross, which has the longest wings in the bird kingdom and a combined wing span of about 3 and a half meters. Unlike the new aircraft, which has wings that are about 5 meters wide, the albatross can spend an entire year in the air without touching down.
The new aircraft, like the albatross, will use a technique known as "dynamic soaring," which makes use of the increase in horizontal wind speed with altitude, a feature that is particularly prevalent on Mars, to move fast and without the need for an external energy source.
research obstacles
The atmosphere of Mars presents a significant problem for aircraft in general since it is far thinner than the atmosphere of the planet Earth, making air transportation of aircraft difficult.
To test balanced flying on another planet, NASA put off deploying the first helicopter to Mars' surface, the "ingenuity" (Ingenuity), which weighs only 2.5 kilograms and has a propeller system width of approximately 1.2 meters.
However, the limitation of the solar-powered engine's flight time and a maximum altitude of only 12 meters means that it is still unable to do an accurate examination of the atmosphere.
The new gliders avoid the energy crunch, allowing for higher (kilometer-high) flight and longer, more thorough investigation of the Martian environment.
It will be possible to fill in a research hole between rovers examining Mars's surface and satellites researching it from other planets.
The first few kilometers above the surface of Mars are where all the exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere occur, the winds are significantly altered, and there is little information on this subject, according to a university press release. These aircraft will study these first few kilometers.
onsite tests
The research team suggests that these gliders would be launched to Mars as a secondary payload in a bigger mission, rise to the upper Martian atmosphere through ejection or an airship used for investigations on Earth's weather and climate, and then open their arms and take off.
Based on the facts now available on the climate of the planet Mars, the team has already completed more than mathematics and computer modeling of the structure of these vehicles and their glider flying patterns.
Additionally, scientists have already started testing this kind of aircraft at altitudes close to 5,000 meters above sea level, where the Earth's atmosphere is thinner, and in conditions that are similar to those on Mars.
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