Inspired by NASA’s successful Ingenuity Mars helicopter, Chinese scientists are proposing a more advanced extraterrestrial flier for a planned Mars sample return mission.
A recent paper from researchers at China’s Harbin Institute of Technology suggests the use of a quadcopter for Martian operations, unlike the coaxial design of Ingenuity. The proposed craft, named MarsBird-VII, would be equipped with four rotors, capable of carrying up to 100g of Martian rock to a nearby lander.
“The Mars quadcopter should be able to collect a rock sample with a mass of 100g and a diameter of about 40mm within a radius of 500m around the lander at once,” the researchers wrote in their paper. The proposed stationary lander would rely on the quadcopter to retrieve Martian regolith that hasn’t been contaminated by the lander’s rockets.
An artist’s rendering of how MarsBird-VII would operate – Click to enlarge
A robot arm attached to the quadcopter would collect the samples and deliver them back to the lander, which would then use its own claw to place them in an ascent vehicle for transport back into orbit and eventually to Earth.
Earlier this year, Chinese officials proposed using an autonomous aircraft for sample collection. However, MarsBird-VII is still in the concept phase and has not been tested in a simulated Martian environment.
Who will be the first to touch Martian dirt?
Bringing Martian rocks and dirt back to Earth could be the next frontier in the space race, with China emerging as a rival to NASA. NASA’s own Mars sample return mission has faced delays and financial challenges, requiring billions of dollars to proceed.
On the other hand, China is aiming to launch its Tianwen-3 mission in 2028 and return samples from Mars by 2031 using a dual-launch strategy involving two rockets to the Red Planet.
Meanwhile, NASA’s plans have been delayed, with the return of Perseverance’s rock samples not expected until 2033, due to budget uncertainties.
Despite NASA’s challenges, some California Congressional representatives have criticized the agency for slowing down the Mars sample return mission, which is expected to impact jobs in California, where NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is based.
