NASA honoring drone pilots...kinda, sorta

[AVLJMA]

So the first flight on Mars is going to be drone and NOT a manned aircraft. I think that is a nod to all UAV Mavic pilots. I think it happens this coming Sunday.
But I don't think any of us could live with the altitude restrictions....

"Each flight should reach no higher than 16.5 feet (5 m) and will be conducted over a 300-foot-long (90 m) flight range."

 

[MA2 317]

But I don't think any of us could live with the altitude restrictions....

Or the flight time.

Ninety seconds. ?

 

[Magilla Gorilla]

BUT, it's on MARS!

 

[ckoerner]

Can I now say I fly a drone just like the one on Mars?

 

[izometric]

So the first flight on Mars is going to be drone and NOT a manned aircraft. I think that is a nod to all UAV Mavic pilots. I think it happens this coming Sunday.
But I don't think any of us could live with the altitude restrictions....

"Each flight should reach no higher than 16.5 feet (5 m) and will be conducted over a 300-foot-long (90 m) flight range."

When you are flying a drone worth several hundred million dollars and you get one shot to doing it right, you take precaution to a whole new level.

I don't think they have care refresh on Mars

 

[Yogi053]

Do you think the altitude and distance restrictions are because they haven't registered it with Dji?
The care refresh won't be $49 though!

 

[MA2 317]

If there's a tree on Mars, the drone will find it.

 

[JoelP]

How long before DJI adds geofencing for Mars?

 

[brett8883]

What I think is pretty interesting is NASA’s rotor design. Two opposing stacked helicopter rotors with no tail rotor.

I would love to know why they chose this design over others, what the advantages/disadvantages they identified are, and what we could learn from it with our Earth based helicopters and drones.

 

[AVLJMA]

What I think is pretty interesting is NASA’s rotor design. Two opposing stacked helicopter rotors with no tail rotor.

I would love to know why they chose this design over others, what the advantages/disadvantages they identified are, and what we could learn from it with our Earth based helicopters and drones.

I saw a documentary on it complete with a tour of the lab they designed to build it. It has carbon fiber blades on the rotors. The rotors are extra long because the atmosphere on Mars in about 1% of that on Earth. So the blades have to turn faster than anything developed before. I read it was like taking off at 100,000 feet AGL on Earth.

 

[brett8883]

I saw a documentary on it complete with a tour of the lab they designed to build it. It has carbon fiber blades on the rotors. The rotors are extra long because the atmosphere on Mars in about 1% of that on Earth. So the blades have to turn faster than anything developed before. I read it was like taking off at 100,000 feet AGL on Earth.

Yea I saw something that said the atmosphere on Mars has 1% the density of earths atmosphere.

But what I was getting it is would we be better off with this design for efficiency and reliability here on earth? I know that for a helicopter, for example, a tail rotor is just lost energy because it does nothing for propulsion or sustaining flight.

 

[AVLJMA]

Yea I saw something that said the atmosphere on Mars has 1% the density of earths atmosphere.

But what I was getting it is would we be better off with this design for efficiency and reliability here on earth? I know that for a helicopter, for example, a tail rotor is just lost energy because it does nothing for propulsion or sustaining flight.

Coaxial rotors, like on the Mars copter, have been around for sometime. I am a helicopter pilot but never flew that configuration. The Coaxial rotor is designed to be much more stable. It eliminates the need for a tail rotor. I'm sure NASA was looking for greater lift and stability in their design.

 

[brett8883]

Coaxial rotors, like on the Mars copter, have been around for sometime. I am a helicopter pilot but never flew that configuration. The Coaxial rotor is designed to be much more stable. It eliminates the need for a tail rotor. I'm sure NASA was looking for greater lift and stability in their design.

Cool! I’ve seen drones with multiple coaxial rotors but haven’t seen one with a single pair inline with each other

 

[Teacherbytes]

To be funny. What about the rules requiring maintaining visual line of sight?

 

[izometric]

They will receive a fine from the FAA office on Mars.

Oh, wait...