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Introduction
Going to Mars is an exciting scientific venture! Before
we send a manned expedition to Mars we need to know even more about its
atmosphere and its surface features. So far, through the use of previous
probes such as Mariner, Viking,
and the ground rover Sojourner deployed by the
Mars Pathfinder Mission, to name just a few, we have been able to learn
more about Mars from its upper atmosphere down into its deepest canyons.
To get a closer a look at Mars scientist could use an aerial perspective,
that is, the view from an airplane. This airplane need not be a full-scale,
human-piloted model. It can be a small-scale, robotic model that holds a
scientific cargo capable of gathering the information needed about Mars'
atmosphere and surface.
Preliminary design work has already been accomplished by NASA researchers
on what such a model would like, how it should perform and what kind of
scientific cargo it would need to carry. For example, for an aircraft
to fly within the atmosphere of Mars it will need to be different from
the types of airplanes designed for flight on Earth. That's because the
atmosphere on Mars is very different from that on Earth! Also, to hold
the cargo necessary to perform the scientific experiments, the payload
will need to be precisely packed and placed with consideration given to
the aircraft's center of gravity.
Join us here at this site to learn more about Mars, its gravity and
its atmosphere. Explore the differences between atmospheric and non-atmospheric
flight. Learn also about the types of scientific instruments that would
be used for such a data-gathering mission. Review all the information
given at this web site and through its links when considering a design
for a Mars airplane. Then, apply your knowledge to design an aircraft
that will fly on Mars.
[A general discussion of Mars missions and history can be found at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov ]
NASA Videos of Mars Airplane Concepts
NASA Drawings of Mars Airplane Concepts
Looking for a fun Contest to
enter? We have some fun plans!
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