NASA has released a rendering of its Mars Chopper, which officials say is a “more capable proposed follow-on” to the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which arrived at the Red Planet in the belly of the Perseverance rover in February 2021.
According to NASA officials, Chopper will be about the size of an SUV, with six rotors, each with six blades. It could be used to carry science payloads as large as 11 pounds distances of up to 1.9 miles each Martian day (or sol).
NASA officials say scientists could use Chopper to study large swaths of terrain in detail, quickly — including areas where rovers cannot safely travel.
NASA officials add that the Chopper remains in early conceptual and design stages.
The proposed design is the product of collaboration between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the agency’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, and AeroVironment.
For more information: Science.NASA.gov
