NASA is developing Mars Chopper, a flying drone that will unlock the mysteries of the Red Planet

The US National Aerospace Agency (NASA) has unveiled the ambitious Mars Chopper project, which aims to study the Red Planet in detail.

Here's What We Know

Mars Chopper is a powerful flying drone, the size of an SUV. It will be equipped with six rotors with six blades each, which will allow it to move efficiently in the rarefied atmosphere of Mars.

The Mars Chopper launch will be part of the Nighthawk programme focused on exploring the Noctis Labyrinthus region of Mars. This area of Mars is interesting for its deep canyons, lava flows and suspected ice deposits. Scientists hope to find traces of ancient water and biomarkers that may indicate the existence of life in the past.

Mars Chopper will be equipped with scientific instruments to analyse the surface and search for water, and will be able to climb up to 1,500 metres above the average level of Mars. It is planned that it will make up to 100 flights, each up to 3 kilometres long, and will operate on Mars for 240 sols( asol is a Martian day that lasts 24 hours 39 minutes).

The project is at an early stage, but it is already clear that it could significantly increase knowledge of Mars and help to study the evolution of the planet, as well as being an important step in preparing manned missions and finding suitable locations for potential terraforming and colony development, but this is a matter for the distant future.

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Source: Space.com