For the first time in history, two planets hosted testing of future aircraft designs. On this world, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California recently tested a new rotor that spins at near supersonic speeds (Mach 0.95), which could be used with the next generation of Mars helicopters. Meanwhile, the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter broke new altitude and speed records on the Red Planet as part of experimental flight tests.

“Our next-generation helicopter tests on Mars were literally the best of both worlds,” said Teddy Tsanetos, Ingenuity project manager and manager of Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters. “Here on Earth, you have all the tools and hands-on proximity you could hope for when testing new aircraft components. On Mars, there are real extraterrestrial conditions that you can never recreate on Earth.” This includes a whisper-thin atmosphere and much less gravity than on Earth.

The next-generation carbon fiber rotor blades tested on Earth are about 4 inches (more than 10 centimeters) longer than Ingenuity’s, stronger and have a different design. NASA believes these wings could enable larger, more efficient helicopters for Mars. The problem is that when wingtips approach supersonic speeds, the turbulence that causes vibration can quickly get out of control.

To find a space on Earth large enough to create a Martian atmosphere, engineers turned to JPL’s 25-foot-wide, 85-foot-high (8 meters by 26 meters) space simulator, which Surveyor, Voyager and Cassini first experienced. space environments. For three weeks in September, the team monitored sensors, gauges and cameras to see how the blades held up to runs at higher speeds and higher lean angles than ever before.

On September 15, a 25-foot space simulator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory tests the twin-rotor system for the next generation of Mars helicopters. Carbon fiber wings, longer and stronger than those used on Ingenuity’s Mars helicopter, reached nearly supersonic speeds during tests. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

“We were spinning our blades up to 3,500 rpm, which was 750 rpm faster than Ingenuity’s blades,” said Tyler Del Sesto, JPL’s deputy test manager for the sample rescue helicopter. “These more efficient blades are now more than just a hypothetical exercise. They’re ready to fly.”

Around the same time, and about 100 million miles (161 million kilometers) away, Ingenuity was ordered to try something the Mars Helicopter team could not have imagined.

Fourth flight test

It was originally planned that Ingenuity would fly no more than five times. The helicopter, which recorded its first flight in its mission log more than two and a half years ago, exceeded its planned 30-day mission 32 times and performed 66 sorties. Ingenuity covers new ground every time it sets out, offering a perspective that no previous planetary mission has achieved. But lately, Team Ingenuity has been launching its solar-powered rotorcraft like never before.

“Over the past nine months, we have doubled our maximum flight speed and altitude, increased our vertical and horizontal acceleration rates, and even learned to descend slower,” said Travis Brown, Ingenuity’s principal engineer at JPL. “The shell expansion provides invaluable data that can be used by mission designers for future Mars helicopters.”

Limited by available energy and engine temperature, Ingenuity flights typically last about two to three minutes. Although a helicopter can fly faster and cover more ground in a single flight, flying too fast can confuse the onboard navigation system. The system uses a camera that recognizes rocks and other surface features as they move across the field of view. If these functions whistle too quickly, the system may disappear.

So, to achieve a higher top speed, the team sends Ingenuity commands to fly at higher altitudes (instructions are sent to the helicopter before each flight), allowing the features to remain in view for longer periods of time. Flight 61 tested the nature of the Martian wind, setting a new altitude record of 78.7 feet (24 meters). Ingenuity set a speed record of 22.3 mph (10 meters per second) with Flight 62 and discovered a location for the Perseverance rover’s science team.

The team also tested Ingenuity’s descent speed. The helicopter was designed to contact the surface relatively quickly at 2.2 mph (1 mph) so that onboard sensors could easily confirm the landing and shut down the rotors before the helicopter returned to the air.

A slower-landing helicopter could be designed with a lighter landing gear. So they gave it another try, showing on flights 57, 58, and 59 that Ingenuity could land 25% slower than where it was originally designed to land.

All this Chuck Yeager Mars wizardry isn’t over yet. In December, after solar conjunction, Ingenuity is expected to make two high-speed flights during which it will perform a special series of inclination angles designed to measure its performance.