NASA’s proposed Mars Chopper is ingenuity on steroids

Almost a year after Ingenuity broke a blade and ended its experimental stay on Mars, NASA has unveiled a new design concept for the Martian helicopter’s successor, and it’s a relatively big boy.

NASA’s Mars Chopper, as it’s called, is about the size of an SUV, fitted with six rotors, each rotor containing six blades (I’ve already done the math for you, that’s a whopping 36 blades). The space agency recently revealed rendering of the helicopter, which is still in its early conceptual and design stages, according to NASA. Chopper project manager Teddy Tsanetos also presented the concept during a briefing at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting in Washington on Dec. 11.

Ingenuity was the first helicopter to fly to another planet, paving the way for more capable helicopters to follow in its path. Its low-cost design and durability help NASA design future concepts for exploring other planets in a whole new way.

NASA also shared an exciting 30-second animation depicting the rotorcraft flying over the Martian terrain during a potential future mission. The Mars Chopper can transport science payloads weighing up to 11 pounds (5 kilograms) over distances of 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) per Martian day or salt. “Scientists could use Chopper to study large areas of terrain in detail, quickly — including areas where rovers cannot travel safely,” NASA explained.

Ingenuity walked so Chopper could run. The OG Martian helicopter arrived on the Red Planet in February 2021, tucked into the belly of the Perseverance rover. Shortly thereafter, the 19-inch (48-centimeter), 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) helicopter became the first powered aircraft, raise from the surface of another planet. Although originally slated to make only five test flights, Ingenuity went on to complete 72 flights and fly 14 times farther than planned for a total flight time of two hours.

Things fell apart for Ingenuity earlier this year after the helicopter broke its fins as it lands for the 72nd time, officially ending its mission in January. NASA recently concluded that in-flight navigational errors caused “high horizontal velocities at touch down”.

Ingenuity fulfilled its goal of providing information to NASA to help it develop a similar aircraft to explore Mars and other planets from above. During its test mission, Ingenuity also helped the Perseverance rover explore the Red Planet by orbiting the Martian robot and guiding its path through the dusty Martian terrain. Even after crashing, Ingenuity still delivers weather and avionics data to Perseverance on a weekly basis.

The future Mars Chopper has some big shoes to fill, Ingenuity has left behind a legendary legacy on the Red Planet.