NASA is testing an autonomous Martian helicopter

[Buster's Uncle]

NASA is testing an autonomous Martian helicopter
The Verge
By Sean O'Kane on January 23, 2015 05:30 pm

Crazy Engineering: Mars Helicopter

Drones are everywhere these days. They're under Christmas trees. They're at the X-Games. They're even in Congress. And if NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has its way, they could be headed to Mars next in the form of the Mars Helicopter.

Rover teams still have a tough time with the Martian surface even though they're flush with terrestrial data. The alien surface is uneven, and ridges and valleys make navigating the terrain difficult. The newest solution proposed by JPL is the Mars Helicopter, an autonomous drone that could "triple the distances that Mars rovers can drive in a Martian day," according to NASA. The helicopter would fly ahead of a rover when its view is blocked and send Earth-bound engineers the right data to plan the rover's route.





The rover teams could also use images from the helicopter to select features for further study, giving them a much closer option than the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and its HiRISE camera, which is over 150 miles above the surface.

Prototype versions of the Mars Helicopter are being tested now. The idea is proposed as an "add-on" to future rover missions, so even if it gets approved it wont be flying any time soon. There's a lot of work to be done between now and then anyway. Compared to Earth, Mars has a much thinner atmosphere and much weaker gravity. What's more, the planet's harsh environment means a drone also must be engineered to be rugged enough to withstand Martian conditions while remaining light enough to fly.


http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/23/7879311/nasa-mars-autonomous-helicopter-drone

[Geo]

I'm guessing the rover would also serve as this "heli-drone's" home base/refuel station.

[Buster's Uncle]

...Surely it would take a hellish amount of juice to fly...

[Geo]

...Surely it would take a hellish amount of juice to fly...

Solar Power, my good BUncson.

[Buster's Uncle]

I don't see any panels on it.

[Mart]

Mars has lower gravity, but atmospheric pressure is so low, 0.7 - 1.0 % of that of Earth.
Ok, so they have very light construction and in vacuum chamber it lifts.

[Geo]

I don't see any panels on it.

I meant the rover? Rover charges wit solar power, and in turn charges the drone for when its needed.

[Buster's Uncle]

These rovers are never blessed with loads of surplus power....

[Geo]

These rovers are never blessed with loads of surplus power....

Do you see Congres sending a nuclear-powered rover go Mars?

[Buster's Uncle]

Curiousity - and it's still not running a surplus.

[Unorthodox]

I don't see any panels on it.

The round doodad above the blades is a solar panel.  If it's like the mini copters, it doesn't take all that much juice to charge for FLIGHT.  If it could land back on the rover to do the actual transmission part which takes oodles of power, I could see that little panel being enough for flight.  Otherwise if it flies far enough it has several days to wait for the rover, I could see that working too.