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NASA Lost Its Mars Helicopter. Now It’s Looking Into A Martian Plane.

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NASA wants to hear far-out, unconventional, and out-of-this-world aerospace ideas.

The space agency’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program — which encourages “visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions with the creation of breakthroughs” — funds research into a diversity of ambitious proposals it finds compelling. For example, NASA is currently funding an idea (still only an idea) to construct a telescope the size of Washington, D.C., on the moon.

Now, the program has released a new batch of innovative concepts that it’s chosen for further theoretical development, and included is a plane designed to fly around Mars — and stay aloft in the extremely thin Martian atmosphere. The proposal is called MAGGIE (short for Mars Aerial and Ground Intelligent Explorer), and it’s an aircraft envisioned to provide unprecedented exploration of Mars’ surface.

And unlike planes on Earth, the craft is designed to take off and land vertically, like a helicopter.

“You can land any place you feel is interesting,” Gecheng Zha, the director of the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and Aerodynamics Lab at the University of Miami, told Mashable.

The Martian plane is a novel idea, but perhaps not as wild as it sounds. NASA is only spending some $175,000 on 13 different awardees for this early “Phase I” conceptual research. But it comes with the opportunity for NASA to further develop such aerospace technology and move innovation to the next phase — which means even more funding and support.

“It can’t just be science fiction.”

“Anything proposed to NASA has to be very, very well thought out,” Zha, who is also the president and founder of Coflow Jet, the aviation technology company that proposed the MAGGIE craft, emphasized. “It has to have scientific merit. It can’t just be science fiction.”

A plane on Mars

The Martian aircraft, which would be powered by the solar panels spread across its wings, has a strong Mars influence: NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter — a NIAC-graduate and the first craft to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet. The small, solar-powered experimental chopper, with four-foot-long rotor blades that spun a blazing 2,400 revolutions every minute, made over 70 successful flights before meeting its demise on Jan. 25 after a rough landing. Originally, engineers hoped it might fly five times, if at all.

“We were enlightened by Ingenuity,” Zha said.

Yet a plane would be able to carry significantly more weight than a future Martian helicopter, and would fly more efficiently on a distant world where craft would almost certainly need to rely on the sun for energy, Zha explained. (A nuclear-powered endeavor, like the Perseverance rover, requires a heavy engine. That would make lifting into the air difficult.)

The Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars in August 2023.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU / MSSS
The Jezero Crater on Mars, a dried-up river delta now explored by NASA’s Perseverance rover.
Credit: NASA

Flying anything on Mars is a great challenge. That’s because, compared to Earth, the Martian atmosphere is quite thin. Its volume is about 1 percent of Earth’s, making it difficult to generate the lift needed for flight. Yet the MAGGIE plane’s narrow double-wings are designed (conceptually) to produce many times more lift than conventional aircraft on our planet.

Once in the air, the plane would cruise at some 60 meters per second, or nearly 135 mph. That’s significantly slower than, say, the commercial jets you’re used to flying on. But on Mars, flying slower is imperative. Flying quickly burns too much energy.

“You don’t want to fly too fast,” Zha emphasized.

Beyond its extraordinarily thin air, Mars has another notable obstacle for aircraft. There are no runways. And Martian astronaut missions certainly aren’t going to have the time and ability to clear land and boulders to create an airfield. So the craft must take off and land without one.

“You don’t want to fly too fast.”

The trick is in the wings’ flaps. The propellers are always facing forward, but by turning the wing flap down to 90 degrees, the airflow from the propellers creates lift. “That will get the plane up vertically,” Zha explained.

One day, perhaps, a plane like MAGGIE will robotically explore the Martian surface from some 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) for interesting places to land and capture samples. It will be a compact plane — MAGGIE is currently designed with about a 26-foot (7.85 meters) wingspan — so it could fit and fold inside a large rocket. But it would allow unprecedented exploration of the Red Planet, a world that once gushed with water and could have potentially hosted primitive life — if life ever existed on Mars, that is.

Planes on Mars may also prove essential for Martian travel later this century and beyond. After all, it’s hard to get around on a world without an Interstate Highway System.

“We provide the possibility to move around,” Zha said. “There are no roads there.”



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Astronomers Find ‘Interstellar Tunnel’ In Our Solar Neighbourhood, It Could Connect To Other Worlds

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Astronomers have discovered what they are calling an “interstellar tunnel” in space, close to our solar system, which might be a connection to other star systems. This finding, revealed in a new study in Astronomy & Astrophysics, describes a vast region of hot gas that surrounds our solar system and spans hundreds of light-years, known as the Local Hot Bubble (LHB).

The team used data from the eROSITA telescope, a powerful x-ray observatory positioned in space, to map this bubble in three dimensions. This new map shows an unexpected feature – a pathway or “tunnel” in the bubble that seems to reach toward another nearby region in space, potentially connecting with another bubble of hot gas.

Illustration of interstellar bubbles. Image: MPE

Michael Freyberg, one of the study’s authors, described the tunnel as a “gap in the cooler interstellar medium” – the collection of gas and dust that fills the space between stars. Thanks to eROSITA’s advanced x-ray sensitivity, this hidden structure could be detected.

The Local Hot Bubble was first suggested over 50 years ago, with scientists theorising that a series of supernovas – massive explosions of dying stars – cleared away all nearby interstellar material, creating a large, empty space around our solar system.

ALSO SEE: This Black Hole Just Did Something Theoretically Impossible

This bubble, spanning around 1,000 light-years across, is thought to have been formed some 14 million years ago, though more recent supernovas may have expanded it even further. This discovery adds to our understanding by suggesting that the Local Bubble may connect with other regions in space, creating a network of “tunnels” between bubbles.

These findings support the idea that similar supernova-driven structures may link across the Milky Way, offering new insight into the ways star explosions shape the galaxy. The eROSITA data also revealed that the Local Bubble’s temperature varies, with the northern section notably hotter, which could indicate recent supernovas that reheated parts of the bubble.

In simple terms, astronomers have uncovered a “tunnel” in space that hints at a larger cosmic network and gives us a new glimpse into the structures that shape the galaxy around us. This discovery opens the door to more research on how these vast bubbles and interstellar tunnels formed, and whether they could lead us to new parts of the universe and the unexplored worlds there.

ALSO SEE: Astronomers Could Soon Detect Radio Signals From Alien Civilisations; Here’s How



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India Plans To Build A Space Station Around The Moon By 2040: Report

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India has set an ambitious target to establish a lunar space station by 2040. This project represents the third phase of India’s long-term lunar mission roadmap, marking a major step forward for ISRO following its recent successes.

This roadmap, announced by ISRO at a recent symposium, builds on the momentum from Chandrayaan-3 mission, which landed on the Moon last year, propelling India into an elite group of only four countries to do so.

Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander on the Moon. Image: ISRO

India’s lunar exploration plan is divided into three main phases, India Today reported. Phase one, now underway, focuses on developing essential technology for lunar exploration and robotic missions, with a notable goal being the Chandrayaan-4 mission, which aims to return samples from the Moon.

The second phase, targeting 2040, is aimed at achieving India’s first crewed Moon landing, a mission given special priority by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following this milestone, the third phase seeks to establish a fully operational lunar space station. This future station is expected to be a hub for scientific research, resource exploration, and as a base for more distant space missions.

ALSO SEE: Why Has ISRO Delayed Gaganyaan Astronaut Mission To 2026?

India’s lunar outpost could open doors to scientific studies on lunar geology, new technological developments, and essential preparations for extended human presence beyond Earth.

India is not alone in this quest. NASA, too, is developing the Lunar Gateway, a space station that will orbit the Moon. Expected to begin assembly with the Artemis IV mission around 2028, the Lunar Gateway will serve as a platform for astronauts to conduct lunar research and as a stepping stone for deep-space missions.

Additionally, India is planning its first low-Earth-orbit space station, the Bharatiya Antariksha Station, slated for launch by 2035. This Earth-orbiting station will provide valuable insights and serve as a testbed for the advanced technologies needed to operate on the lunar surface.

ALSO SEE: What Challenges Will ISRO Face During Chandrayaan-4 Mission? Chairman Somanath Reveals

(Image: ESA)



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Elon Musk’s SpaceX Plans To Establish ‘Marslink’ Network To Provide Internet On Mars

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SpaceX, known for its vast network of Starlink satellites orbiting Earth, has now presented a similar plan to establish communication around Mars. The company has proposed a ‘Marslink’ constellation to NASA, aiming to create a reliable communication system that would serve future missions to the Red Planet.

NASA recently discussed potential communication options for Mars during a meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group. One of these options includes the Marslink proposal, a network of SpaceX satellites positioned in Mars orbit.

This constellation would enhance connectivity between Mars’ surface and orbiting equipment, supporting everything from real-time data to high-speed image transmission back to Earth. This setup would give future Mars missions seamless communication, with coverage extending to both Mars’ ground and orbital assets.

SpaceX has already deployed over 7,000 Starlink satellites around Earth as part of its plan to provide internet service globally. Starlink now operates in over 100 countries, with expansion plans for even greater coverage. Ultimately, SpaceX intends to grow its Starlink network to a massive 42,000 satellites.

ALSO SEE: Scientist Says Elon Musk Should Not Occupy Mars Fearing Contamination; ‘Last Thing We Need…’

For Mars, SpaceX plans to leverage its advanced laser communication technology, ensuring steady data flow between the two planets. According to SpaceX, this Marslink network could transmit data at speeds of 4 megabits per second (Mbps) or more, supporting continuous communication between planets.

Although there might be a 4-20 minute delay due to the distance, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated that the system could synchronise Mars’ internet with Earth’s, enabling communication that is as close to real-time as possible. “This is just a very basic first step. Earth and Mars will ultimately need >petabit/sec connectivity,” Musk said on X.

ALSO SEE: SpaceX’s Starship Will Launch With Astronauts To Mars In Four Years: Elon Musk





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