Scientists have designed a glider that can fly like a 'gull' on Mars!

Currently, NASA scientists have developed a glider (Mars Glider) that can fly up to the surface of Mars, it can continuously fly for many days like a "gull". Once operational, this motorless glider could be used to collect atmospheric and geological data on Mars. Its weight is 5 kg, its wingspan can be up to 3.35 meters, and just like the above simile, the overall size of this glider is almost the same as the size of an albatross. .

Pictured is the test launch of the first version of the glider. During launch, the glider is attached to a space balloon and eventually lands slowly on the ground.

The Mars rover could be brought to the surface of the Red Planet by space balloons, which would then extend its original folded wings and fly on the planet's wind power alone. Thanks to advances in technology and design, this glider can use wind power to fly around Mars' geological structures such as canyons and volcanoes.

Reportedly, the Mars glider is a prototype developed by NASA planetary scientists and aeronautics experts at the University of Arizona. They tested this glider in the desert of Earth (simulating the terrain of Mars), to see if using balloons to send the glider into the Earth's atmosphere really worked. and then make it workable on Mars.

Dr Alex Kling, Mars Glider project leader, who is a research scientist at NASA's Mars Climate Modeling Center said: 'Using a rover on Mars as a platform for exploration is a tremendous undertaking. needed, it will provide us with a lot of important data as well as ensure the safety of the crew before landing on Mars."

The Mars rover is designed to contain an array of navigation sensors, as well as cameras, temperature and gas sensors, to gather information about Mars' atmosphere and topography.

Currently, 8 probes in Mars orbit are operating normally. In addition, three probes are traversing the flat sand and mapping small areas of the Martian surface.

However, changes in the Martian climate and large-scale geological features such as mountains are what scientists are interested in and need to investigate and study further. In 2021, NASA deployed the "Intent" helicopter on the surface of Mars, it was designed to explore the Martian environment, but this helicopter can only fly for a maximum of 3 minutes at a time.

According to "Aerospace Magazine", the rover on Mars has the advantage that it can stay in the air longer and use flight sensors, so it can serve research, survey and data collection work. better.

Dr Kling said: "The Mars Glider project area is where the surface and atmosphere meet, it's also windy and canyons - an area we haven't had much of before. Related data".

Now, the team has performed an extended mathematical model of the glider's flight pattern based on climate data from Mars. It will use a number of different flight methods, including: simple static flight with enough vertical wind or "dynamic" flight.

Gliders can be dropped into the Martian atmosphere and spread their wings like origami.

Like an albatross on a long flight, dynamic flight uses horizontal wind speeds that increase with terrain altitude to enhance flight advantage, a phenomenon more common on the Martian surface. Accordingly, the ship will fly in an S-shape, similar to a skier controlling the speed to slide down the mountain. But instead of slowing down every time the glider changes direction, it speeds up with an upward evaporator angle.

When the glider encounters faster winds, at higher altitudes it will rotate 180 degrees, allowing the high-velocity winds to propel it at a slight downward angle. When it gradually runs out of energy, it will continue to fly in an S-shape to collect energy in the Martian atmosphere.

"It's something people can't believe until they see it," said study co-author Jekan Thanga of the University of Arizona.

After the glider lands, it will continue to transmit information of the Martian atmosphere to the spacecraft, which will essentially become a weather station on Mars.

This summer, the Mars Glider prototype flew at an altitude of 4,572 meters above Earth, testing took place in the desert, where the atmosphere is thinner and flying conditions more closely resemble Mars.

Professor Sergey Shkarayev, co-author of the study, said: "We can use Earth as a laboratory to study Mars flights, but in terms of actual orbits, the possibility of updating berths and systems etc. still need to be studied in depth. But we hope that the rover on Mars will be officially operational in a few years, not decades."