NASA Chopper Ready for a Spin on Mars

Can we fly on Mars?

The laws of physics may say it's near impossible, but actually flying a heavier-than-air vehicle on the Red Planet is much harder than that. NASA’s Mars 2020 mission will deliver a technology demonstration that will put the idea to the test -- a helicopter that will perform controlled flight on Mars.

TRANSCRIPT

NASA chopper ready for a spin on Mars

The Mars Helicopter is a technology demonstration that will launch with the mars 2020 mission.

[Mimi Aung] Can we fly at Mars? That has been a question for a long time.

[Music]

In theory, if a helicopter is light enough and the blades spin fast enough, it should fly.

In the thin martian atmosphere, will this be possible?

After building many prototypes, engineers have built a vehicle they believe will fly on the red planet.

This is the actual helicopter that will go to Mars.

Mars-like conditions are created for flight testing.

Inside a space simulator, the conditions are 1% of earth's atmospheric density, and 40% of earth's gravity.

[Buzzing]

In January 2019, the helicopter successfully completed its final flight test.

[Mimi Aung] This is a huge milestone for us. But really our job isn't done until we see the same test flight being performed at mars.

[Music]
The next time the helicopterw will attempt to fly will be on Mars. If successful, a helicopter could be used for future missions.

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[NASA]