Great things start with small steps. The Wright Brothers’ first successful historic flight on Earth at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903 lasted only 12 seconds. As Wilbur Wright watched the Flying Machine hover in the air, his brother Orville survived the world’s first plane crash.
We’ve been flying on Earth for just over 100 years. The American space agency has been talking for so long about its ‘Wright Brothers moment’ on Mars. That said, it must be noted that it would be easier to fly on Moon, given its very thick atmosphere. Why then is flying on Mars, so hard?
As the atmosphere is extremely thin, about 1% of the density on Earth, thereby, it does not give the copter much air to bite into. Also, the pull of gravity on the Red Planet is less. It required a very light chopper and it finally happened; NASA has successfully flown a small helicopter (drone) on Mars.
Human beings have now flown a rotorcraft on another planet. The Perseverance Rover landed in a region of the Red Plant known as ‘Jezero Crater’, now called the ‘Wright Brothers Field’.
In February this year, it carried the helicopter beneath it – ‘India Golf Yankee’, with the call sign ‘Ingenuity’. NASA set history by launching a helicopter from the surface of Mars. It hovered above 3m for roughly 30 seconds, swiveled and then landed safely.
NASA has also already approved a helicopter mission to Titan, the big moon of Saturn in 2030. It could be easier to fly there, given its very thick atmosphere. India is also not far behind.
Though landing on Mars is tougher, India is likely to send mission Mangalyaan-2 after Chandrayaan-3 on rover, in 2022 and that will be an orbiter.
Scientists believe that the red planet had the right ingredients for life, some billions of years ago or more; water was flowing on the surface on Mars. Today, the same planet is hostile to life. It’s too cold for water to stay liquid on the surface; the thin atmosphere lets through, high levels of radiation, potentially sterilizing the upper part of the soil. A thicker carbon dioxide (CO2) atmosphere would have blocked more of the harmful radiation.
The hope is this initial demonstration can eventually transform how we explore some distant worlds. Drones might be used to scout ahead for future rovers and even astronauts, once they eventually get to Mars.
There are signs of alien life over the years. There have been books and movies about colonizing Mars for long. As robots are sent on the red planet, visiting Mars could be possible in the next few decades. There are other promising locations for extra-terrestrial life in our solar system, when it comes to nearby planetary destinations, Moons/satellites of Saturn (Titan, Enceladus) and Jupiter (Europa) would be worth visiting in person. Life beyond Earth might be possible. Humanity may find a new home in the universe very soon, despite the strange worlds and weather patterns on other planets.
Our earth’s biosphere contains liquid water, biologically useful elements and molecules ingredients that survive life on Earth. Our closest planet, Venus has the most inhospitable weather of 460 degree C temperature.
If Mars can retain some reserves of water beneath its surface, it is not impossible that life may still exist. Interestingly, Titan is the only moon in the solar system with a substantial atmosphere, consisting of mostly nitrogen. It has organic molecules, rivers and lakes of liquid methane and ethane weather system in place of water, seasonal rains, dry periods and surface and dunes created by wind. Titan, like Europa and Enceladus has a surface reserve of liquid water.
However, the bountiful chemicals available on this moon have raised speculation of lifeforms. It might discover an underground, dying civilization someday.
Mars is only 140 million miles away from our Earth. The film, ‘The Martian’, a science fiction film captures an astronaut’s lone struggle to survive on Mars after being left behind.
Would a helicopter help to hover around our future home? Learning to fly a helicopter will not be easy but with a flight Simulator, one can try some controls, instruments and advanced maneuvers to master it.
Let’s experience some real flying on copter by playing video games or watching a Hollywood Sci-fi, before the world is ready for colonization, beyond our earth. There could still be life on the red planet, and scientists may discover fossil evidence of bacterial life.