Two new NASA Ingenuity-like helicopters will soon be launched. The international space union confirmed its new plan on Wednesday, July 27.
(Photo : Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
A full scale model of the experimental Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which will be carried under the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, is displayed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on February 16, 2021 in Pasadena, California.
These two new Martial vehicles will be part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Martian rock sample efforts.
The space agency said the rock samples gathered by the two new helicopters will return as early as 2033.
Here’s our updated plan to bring Mars samples to Earth:
The @NASAPersevere rover will take samples to a lander, so a robotic arm provided by @ESA can load them into an ascent vehicle. Two Mars helicopters will act as back-ups. Targeting return in 2033. https://t.co/jUMh6vMKnR pic.twitter.com/TOWFpp3sOk— NASA (@NASA) July 27, 2022
"The @NASAPersevere rover will take samples to a lander, so a robotic arm provided by @ESA can load them into an ascent vehicle. Two Mars helicopters will act as backups. Targeting return in 2033," said NASA via its official Twitter announcement.
Two New NASA Mars Ingenuity-Like Helicopters Will Launch Soon!
According to HuffPost's latest report, the two new helicopters will be based on the existing Ingenuity helicopter.
(Photo : Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech via Getty Images)
In this NASA/JPL-Caltech handout image, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took this shot while hovering over the Martian surface on April 19, 2021, during the first instance of powered, controlled flight on another planet.
They will have the vehicle's design. However, NASA plans to integrate wheels and a small robotic arm into both of the upcoming helicopters.
These features will allow them to collect sample tubes of Martian rock efficiently.
The space agency explained that these two new aerial vehicles will serve as backups if ever the Perseverance Rover malfunctions.
As of press time, NASA is still working with the European Space Agency to complete the development of the new helicopters called the Earth Return Orbit and Sample Retrieval Lander.
When it comes to the launch date, the new Sample Retrieval Lander is expected to reach Mars this coming 2028. On the other hand, the Earth Return Orbit will be launched on 2027.
Why Collecting Mars Rock Samples is Important
NASA recently explained that acquiring rock samples of the Red Plant is essential since scientists can examine these materials for new studies.
The international space union further explained that bringing these rock samples back to Earth will allow the science community to test new models and theories.
On the other hand, the advanced NASA Perseverance Rover was able to write its first letter on the Red Planet.
Meanwhile, the NASA James Webb Space Telescope revealed new details about the Grand Design Phantom Galaxy.
For more news updates about the new Mars helicopters and other space techs of NASA, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
Related Article: NASA Perseverance: Sand Transport on Mars Now Under Investigation from Rover
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Written by: Griffin Davis
