Why is a Mars helicopter becoming more difficult to fly?

with the Mars helicopter creation NASA made history. For the first time, a man-made object has successfully completed a journey to another planet.

Creativity is now 13 times Fly over the surface of Mars. In doing so, he outdone himself, because NASA had already planned five such flights Havard Gripp, Mars Helicopter Pilot I’m the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Der NASA Writes.

Even if you learn something new every time you travel, it will be Flying brilliantly More difficult each time, writes Grip. But this is not because of technical wear, but because Mars atmosphere.

The thin atmosphere of Mars

Because the atmosphere of Mars changes throughout the seasons. When planning a creativity task, NASA The flights are assumed to have been completed in the first few months after reaching Mars, thus completing the mission.

So NASA has helicopter flight characteristics to one the weather Adjust it in the weeks and months that follow February 2021 reigns on Mars. In the seasonal cycle intensity Mars atmosphere Now, however, less and less.

Creativity is designed to work in an atmosphere intensely between 0.0145 and 0.0185 kg/m3 To be able to fly, the master pilot writes for ingenuity. If the density falls below this value, it becomes difficult for the Mars helicopter rotor to get enough of it Strengthen to be able to generate.

More revolutions per minute

In the coming months, the NASA research team expects a density of Crater Lake On the surface of Mars below 0.012 kg/m3 the fall. It is uncertain whether creativity can fly. The creative team is now trying to use a lower density at a higher density rotor speed To be able to object.

Rotor blades usually rotate with them 2,537 rpmFist writes. Now you want that speed to be there 2800 rpm Wrong, although the helicopter is not designed for this.

Tests in the coming days

first test with Rotor speed increase It should take place in the next few days. Then it will appear whether cleverness It also lets you fly and how the helicopter reacts to the increasing revolutions per minute.

The chief pilot of creativity assumes that Flight characteristics will suffer from it. It will also explain More energy need. It is also unclear how all of this affects engine The helicopter.