Americans are preparing the "Night Hawk" for a flight to Mars

NASA is preparing to send a second aircraft to Mars, named Nighthawk. Unlike its predecessor, this aircraft more closely resembles a "motorcycle" than a classic helicopter. Details about the new project were presented at a recent lunar and planetary science conference in The Woodlands (Texas) by specialists from NASA, the SETI Institute, and Colorado Mesa University.

When developing the new copter, scientists focused on the specifics of its future workplace on the Red Planet. The main target of the mission is Noctis Labyrinthus - the Labyrinth of Night, a unique region located between the famous Mariner Valleys in the east and the giant shield volcano Tharsis in the west.

The Labyrinth of Night is of enormous scientific interest as it may hide many valuable research objects, including water ice deposits. However, sending traditional heavy rovers there is practically impossible due to the extremely difficult terrain - dune fields, ancient lava flows, huge boulders, and deep canyons. A lightweight drone can overcome these obstacles much more effectively.

Scientists considered using an Ingenuity-class aircraft (the first Martian helicopter that arrived on the planet in February 2021 as part of the Perseverance mission and now functions as a static weather station), but identified three key limitations.

First, Ingenuity depends on the rover to transmit data to Earth, and rovers, as already noted, are unlikely to work effectively in the Labyrinth of Night.

Second, Ingenuity's maximum flight height is about 25 meters, which is insufficient to overcome obstacles in the selected region. Researchers estimate the necessary flight height in the Labyrinth of Night to be approximately 100 meters.

Third, Ingenuity's thrust is insufficient for flights in the thin atmosphere of this region of Mars. Additionally, its power does not allow it to carry scientific equipment weighing 3 kilograms, which is critical for the planned mission.

To solve these problems, scientists propose using the NASA Mars Chopper concept - a Martian "motorcycle" copter. This autonomous drone, the size of an SUV, will be able to transport scientific equipment weighing up to 5 kilograms and cover up to 3 kilometers daily.

The scientific equipment of the "flying motorcycle" will include a near-infrared color camera and a neutron counter, which will also serve as a tool for detecting water.

According to plans, during the main scientific mission, Nighthawk will cover about 300 kilometers. The main tasks of the aircraft will be to search for evidence of water reserves and study the geological evolution of this unique region of the Red Planet.