NASA Introduces Concept for New Mars Helicopter
NASA has showcased its Mars Chopper, a next-generation helicopter concept designed to succeed the Ingenuity drone, which made history in 2021 with the first powered flight on Mars. The agency released a video demonstrating the vision for this advanced aircraft.
“The helicopter will be the size of an SUV, featuring six rotors, each equipped with six propellers,” stated NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). 
The Mars Chopper aims to carry up to 5 kilograms of cargo over distances of 3 kilometers per Martian day (a sol, which equals approximately 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35.244 seconds). The design team believes this new helicopter will allow scientists to explore regions of Mars that rovers cannot reach, enabling faster and more efficient missions.
NASA remains in the early stages of the project and plans to further refine the Mars Chopper before announcing a launch timeline. Engineers created the design using advanced visualization tools to present the concept to the public.
For reference, NASA launched the Ingenuity helicopter in 2021, which achieved 72 successful reconnaissance flights on Mars. Ingenuity collected critical data, surveyed the Martian surface, gathered rock samples for future return to Earth, and searched for signs of life. However, the mission ended in January 2024 after damage to one of its rotor blades.
