Photo via NASA
Photo via NASA/Illustration via Dennis Calaba

NASA’s new drone intended to collect data on Mars has taken a page from the boomerang.

NASA is preparing to test the sleek little number, an early prototype of the Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars, or Prandtl-m for short, by launching it from a high-altitude balloon at about 100,000 feet later this year to “simulate the flight conditions of the Martian atmosphere,” Al Bowers, NASA Armstrong chief scientist and Prandtl-m program manager said in a post.

Photo via NASA/ Ken Ulbrich/Prototype of drone
Photo via NASA/ Ken Ulbrich/Prototype of drone

The Prandtl-m will help the drone glide above the Red Planet’s surface and collect data for the Mars’ manned missions, sending hi-res photographs back to Earth as well. It will deploy from the Mars rover from a 3U CubeSat, a miniature satellite, aboard the rover, and is set to be included in the Mars 2022-24 mission.

The drone is incredibly small and lightweight, only about 2 feet across and weighing 2.6 pounds on Earth, which translates to a pound on Mars. NASA says it would have an average flight time of about 10 minutes and a range of up to 20 miles.

For now, the NASA team is testing the prototype on Earth, engaging the help of community college students to help build the aircrafts and test them from flying from a high-altitude balloon.

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