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In a rare turn of events, two planets have become testing grounds for the exploration and development of future aircraft designs.
The accomplishment revolves around NASA's development of next-generation Mars helicopters, involving tests conducted on both Earth and the Martian surface.
A new rotor that could be used with the vehicle was recently tested at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, spinning at near-supersonic speeds (0.95 Mach), according to the space agency.
Meanwhile, its Ingenuity Mars helicopter has set new altitude and airspeed records on Mars for experimental flight testing.
Nasa's Ingenuity helicopter, which was developed by JPL, started service on the Red Planet as a technology demonstration in 2021. After showing that flying is doable on Mars, the helicopter is now testing how flying around and scouting from the air could help future exploration of Mars and other planets.
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Encountering diverse conditions, the Earth test offered essential "instrumentation and hands-on immediacy" for assessing new components. While on Mars, the vehicle encountered "real off-world conditions" that are difficult to replicate on Earth, said NASA.
Advanced rotor testing
NASA is testing new, advanced carbon fiber rotor blades that could be used for larger and more capable Mars helicopters. These blades are a bit over four inches (more than 10 centimeters) longer than those on the Ingenuity helicopter, and they're stronger with a different design.
However, as the "blade tips approach supersonic speeds, vibration-causing turbulence can quickly get out of hand," noted a statement from NASA.
To mimic Martian conditions on Earth, engineers used JPL's space simulator, a 25-foot wide, 85-foot-tall (eight-meter-by-26-meter) facility where spacecraft like Surveyor, Voyager, and Cassini were tested before going into space.
For three weeks in September, a team closely monitored sensors, meters, and cameras as the blades went through numerous runs at increasing speeds and pitch angles to see how they performed.
The blades were spun up to 3,500 revolutions per minute, which is 750 revolutions per minute faster than the Ingenuity blades. According to the team, "These more efficient blades are now more than a hypothetical exercise. They are ready to fly," said Tyler Del Sesto, Sample Recovery Helicopter deputy test conductor at JPL, in a statement.
Real-world flights
Initially expected to fly only five times, the Ingenuity helicopter has far surpassed expectations. Over the past two-and-a-half years, it has completed 66 flights, extending its planned 30-day mission by 32 times.
Recently, Team Ingenuity has been pushing the limits of their solar-powered rotorcraft, while covering new ground and relaying valuable data that may prove valuable for mission designers to develop future flying models.
“Over the past nine months, we have doubled our max airspeed and altitude, increased our rate of vertical and horizontal acceleration, and even learned to land slower,” highlighed Travis Brown, Ingenuity’s chief engineer at JPL, in a statement.
Due to energy constraints and concerns about motor temperature, Ingenuity flights typically last about two to three minutes. While flying faster would allow the helicopter to cover more ground in one go, it poses a challenge for the onboard navigation system, according to JPL engineers.
The system relies on a camera to identify rocks and surface features, but if they pass by too quickly, it can lead to navigation issues.
The agency claims that Flight 61 achieved a new altitude record of 78.7 feet (24 meters) while studying Martian wind patterns. In Flight 62, Ingenuity hit a speed record of 22.3 mph (10 meters per second) and scouted a location for the Perseverance rover's science team.
The team has also been experimenting with Ingenuity's landing speed, originally designed to land at 2.2 mph (1 mps) for a precise touchdown. On Flights 57, 58, and 59, they tested slower landing speeds, demonstrating Ingenuity can safely land at speeds 25 percent slower than initially planned, potentially allowing for lighter landing gear in future designs.
Engineers are now looking forward to the helicopter's next set of tests in December where Ingenuity is expected to undertake two high-speed flights, each with a unique set of pitch-and-roll angles designed to assess its performance.
“The data will be extremely useful in fine-tuning our aero-mechanical models of how rotorcraft behave on Mars,” said Brown.
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