First Flight on Another Planet - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Homer J Simpson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2019, 11:07:05 pm
content: Cool video on the helicopter going on the 2020 mission.

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2019, 09:39:26 pm
content: Somehow I would have expected a Quadcopter configuration. Why did they choose this approach? More efficient? Less weight requirement (as opposed to using 4 motors on a quadcopter). Easier to steer? More robust during space transit and landing? More reliable?

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 12:36:51 am
content: Size.Because you need such large props because of the thin atmosphere - a quad copter solution wouldn't fit on the rover which carries it.Edit: See this in the video from 3:32

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 12:43:05 am
content: They said that it can record video.I really hope it's like 720p 30+fps and not 320x240 10FPS b&wA HD video of a helicopter flying around on another planet would definitely qualify as inspiring enough to get more people into aerospace and boost public interest leading to extra funding.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 12:11:54 pm
content: There's also a quad copter idea for exploring Titan.The atmosphere is much thicker so props can spin slower and get the same thrust.This makes them way more efficient to fly around on Titan than on earth.

author: TheNewLab
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 01:01:09 pm
content: cool!! can we include our own and have remote control drone races?

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 01:10:17 pm
content: Only if they are pre-programmed.Operating a drone on Mars from Earth will have -at theveryleast- more than 3 minutes for a command to reach the drone and the same time for you to observe the reaction.

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 05:09:38 pm
content: Quote from: Psi on August 12, 2019, 12:11:54 pmUmmm, I supplied a truly far superior documentary on Nasa's Dragonfly Titan drone mission with technical specs and analysis here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/nasas-dragonfly-mission-to-saturns-moon-titan-an-in-depth-technical-overview/

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 05:28:02 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on August 12, 2019, 01:10:17 pmHmm, Mars-Earth distance can be anything from 56 million km to 400 million km, so yeah 3 min travel (x2 round trip time) would be the absolute minimum depending on the period.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Mars_distance_from_Earth.svg/1280px-Mars_distance_from_Earth.svg.pngSurely you can't operate anything in real-time this way.The Mars rover had autonomous driving capabilities. All you could do remotely is to program a new route. The rover would still optimize the route depending on local conditions it would detect.A flying vehicle would work pretty much the same way. Apparently winds are not too severe.https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/12/08/mars-sounds-win-orig-st.cnn

author: TheNewLab
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 06:11:01 pm
content: Quote from: Brumby on August 12, 2019, 01:10:17 pmThat's the point! you'll never get it back. just setting it for a long distance altitude run, then discover 4-6 minutes later, you've crossed one of those massive craters! and you wonder how much further after you see the first return of the Images...

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 06:33:54 pm
content: FPV drone racing on mars from Earth would be one heck of a sport lol. You'd have to basically future plan by a couple minutes when to send your commands. Actually, double the time it takes because if you send a command it takes that time to get there, and then the view to come back to you.Might be safer to stick with ground RC cars lol.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 06:41:44 pm
content: Quote from: edy on August 11, 2019, 09:39:26 pmThere is nothing inherently good about quadcopters except ease of implementation. Just slap 4 propellers on any unbalanced and un-aerodynamic piece of crap and it flies. And as said earlier, thin atmosphere on Mars requires huge propellers.