NASA to send more helicopters to Mars as part of mission to bring back samples

NASA has decided to send two more helicopters to Mars following the success of their initial mission. The mission, which NASA is conducting along with the European Space Agency, is aimed at bringing back rocks from Mars to further the study into the red planet. The rocks, which were brought back in the initial mission, are currently being studied with help of state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. “We have a path forward using a revised and innovative architecture,” Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s science directorate, told the media.

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According to New York Times, the “Marscopter” – a helicopter designed similar to Ingenuity – will be used in the upcoming mission along with NASA’s Perseverance rover to Mars.

Initially, the mission was supposed to use a rover built by ESA to collect the rocks and bring them back to the rocket. However, due to space constraints, they have decided to use the helicopter which will enable them to transport the samples better and without adding more weight.

The Perseverance remains the first choice for the mission, but the helicopters will provide more support, according to the NYT report. The trip back to space will most likely take place in 2033.

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“We reached our decision based on new studies and recent achievements at Mars that allowed us to consider options that, frankly, weren’t available to us one year ago or before,” Zurbuchen said.

With the changes in the mission, it will also need just one lander instead of two and that has simplified it quite a bit. “All I can say right now is the obvious,” said Jeff Gramling, director for the Mars Sample Return program at NASA. “One lander certainly is much less costly than two.”