Mars mission 2020DC micromotors for the first Mars helicopter
In two years' time, the US space agency NASA will be sending a new rover to the Red Planet. On board: a helicopter that will take the first aerial photos of Mars. The rotors are controlled by small DC motors from the Swiss company Maxon Motor.
The developers of the autonomous helicopter for the 2020 Mars mission hope that it will provide groundbreaking insights for future scientific and exploratory journeys to Mars. In future, the drone could serve as a flying eye for rovers, for example, exploring the surroundings and finding the best route in each case. The atmosphere of the planet Mars places high demands on the helicopter. The thin air on Mars is roughly comparable to the conditions that prevail on Earth at an altitude of 30 km. The helicopter has to be particularly light (1.8 kg) and can only carry small batteries. This requires that ...