NASA test unmanned aircraft wing Mars trip

If the pilot program is NASA pan, it can before the aircraft is flying wing of Mars. Under development at NASA Armstrong, Prandtl -m in order to provide a survey at a low level, it is a glider designed to fly aviation wings of the finger to the future exploration of Mars. This is due to begin test flight in the second half of this year.

In orbit and the earth: so far, Mission to Mars, worked two of the applicants. NASA, before it is expected to bridge the gap with the preliminary design study air to land on the surface of Mars (Prandtl -m), in order to provide image and telemetry very low to high, and landed a glider wing model steering wheel that brings the version you want to publish.

In the past, according to Prandtl -D, we have developed a glider flying wing Prandtl -m opportunities under the NASA program Armstrong trip. -m Prandtl, can be a simple self-correcting his position during the descent of the design. It is made of composite materials, has a wing (61 cm) to 24, and weigh up to 2.6 pounds of land (1.8 kg). It is designed to spread from the future of 3U CubeSat Aero shell vehicles to explore Mars and bending. Refers to the number of units is the abbreviation 3U CubeSat drop the car. CubeSat is the side of a small satellite to about 4 (10 cm).

Still it is screened design by students of squash in the summer. To confirm the ability of the model wing is retrieved according to the result, it is ignored in different directions before the test flight.
This work, and when it is completed in the second half of this year, the US National Administration of Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Tucson from two high balloon 100,000 feet (30,500 meters), in the state of Arizona, or Tillamook, for example, the reduction in Oregon, and the Mars flight conditions embodiment of the first three test flight programmed to simulate the design. In the context of these experiments, the aircraft flying in the rear base of more than 5 hours. The first test, but uses GPS Navigation, dead account system, there is a need to develop a Mars mission effective. This includes testing of both cameras and X and Mapping meters at high altitude, in the final analysis.

If successful, may decline followed by a balloon launch rockets that will fall on -M Prandtl folded from 450.00 feet (137,000 meters). In order to simulate a landing on Mars - (35,000 m 33,500) and will be published on the glider 110,000 115,000 feet.

Glider is determined in a bowl to fly the spacecraft, will travel to deploy during the descent through the atmosphere in 2024 - space agency flying wings to fly in Mars mission NASA probe in 2022 on the basis of Prandtl -M is said that you can.
"Aircraft are part of a sinker which must be downloaded from the Aero shell takes Mars rover to the ground," the words of Alba, director of NASA scientists a great program and Prandtl -M Armstrong says. "E", the expansion of the Martian atmosphere and glide down and land, which will be able to fly. Prandtl -m, and return some of the landing sites that have been proposed for the mission the astronauts in the future in the sky and the earth, there is a possibility, you can image highly detailed map send high-resolution images to inform scientists about the suitability of this landing site. "

Bowers glider has a range of 20 miles for distribution to about 2,000 feet (610 meters) (32 kg), who will be 10 minutes of total flight time, and I'm talking about.

Source: NASA