Mars Helicopter – Page 4 – Spaceflight Now

Launch of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover delayed to July 22

June 24, 2020 Stephen Clark

The launch of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has been delayed two days to July 22 after an issue with ground support equipment at the Kennedy Space Center held up encapsulation of the spacecraft inside the payload fairing of its Atlas 5 rocket.

Launch preparations continue for NASA’s next Mars rover

May 9, 2020 Stephen Clark

On track for launch from Cape Canaveral in July, NASA’s Perseverance rover has been secured to its rocket-powered descent stage and back shell, part of the protective shield that will safeguard the robot when it arrives at Mars next year.

Ground teams fuel Perseverance rover landing system, attach Mars Helicopter

April 13, 2020 Stephen Clark

Working under the cloud of the global coronavirus pandemic, technicians and engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center have installed a rotor-driven drone on the agency’s next Mars rover and fueled the spacecraft’s “sky crane” landing system in preparation for launch in July.

Mini-helicopter installed on NASA’s next Mars-bound rover

September 4, 2019 Stephen Clark

Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California have attached a flying helicopter drone to the belly of the Mars 2020 rover set for launch next July.

Helicopter to accompany NASA’s next Mars rover to Red Planet

May 14, 2018 Stephen Clark

A flying drone fitted with counter-rotating blades, on-board autonomy, and a lightweight carbon-fiber fuselage will ride to the Red Planet with NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, officials announced Friday.

Q&A with Mimi Aung, Mars Helicopter project manager at JPL (members only)

May 14, 2018 Stephen Clark

Mimi Aung leads a cadre of engineers developing the Mars Helicopter, an aerial drone set to fly to the Red Planet with the Mars 2020 rover.

NASA to decide soon whether flying drone will launch with Mars 2020 rover

March 15, 2018 Stephen Clark

Testing of a lightweight robotic helicopter designed to fly in the alien atmosphere of Mars has produced encouraging results in recent months, and NASA officials expect to decide soon whether the aerial drone will accompany the agency’s next rover to the red planet set for liftoff in 2020.