All articles tagged with #aerial exploration
Antigravity, a new drone brand incubated by Insta360, has unveiled the Antigravity A1, the world's first all-in-one 8K 360-degree drone designed for immersive aerial exploration, featuring dual-lens cameras, advanced stitching technology, and innovative controls like motion-based Grip controller and Vision goggles, with a planned global launch in January 2026 and opportunities for early testing.
NASA and AeroVironment are launching the Skyfall mission to deploy six autonomous helicopters on Mars, building on Ingenuity's success, to enhance exploration, identify landing sites, and potentially answer whether life ever existed on Mars, with a planned launch by 2028 and human landings targeted for 2030.
NASA is funding a study to explore the feasibility of a Mars airplane concept called MAGGIE, designed to operate for nearly two Earth years and fly 3,300 feet above the Martian surface to search for methane, a potential sign of life. The aircraft could use high-resolution instruments to detect trace amounts of methane and other transient phenomena, and its patented technology would allow it to navigate the thin atmosphere of Mars. If successful, MAGGIE could be included in a two-year phase 2 study to deepen engineering and science work, potentially leading to future aerial exploration missions on Mars.
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter achieved a new altitude record on its 59th flight on Mars, reaching a height of 66 feet (20 meters). The 4-pound helicopter has been serving as a scout for NASA's Perseverance rover, helping identify routes and science targets. Ingenuity's primary mission was to demonstrate the feasibility of aerial exploration on Mars, and it has exceeded expectations by completing 59 flights, covering a total distance of 43,652 feet (13,304 meters) and staying aloft for 106.5 minutes.
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter achieved a new altitude record on its 59th flight on Mars, reaching a height of 66 feet (20 meters). The 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) rotorcraft completed a full hover during the flight, covering no horizontal distance. Ingenuity, which landed on Mars with the Perseverance rover in February 2021, is serving as a scout for the rover team, helping identify routes and science targets. Over the course of its 59 flights, Ingenuity has traveled a total of 43,652 feet (13,304 m) and stayed aloft for 106.5 minutes.
NASA's Perseverance rover captured footage of its experimental Ingenuity helicopter's 54th flight on Mars. The helicopter, designed to fly in the low-density Martian atmosphere, experienced a flight anomaly but successfully landed. The footage shows Ingenuity firing up its rotors, taking off, hovering 16 feet in the air, and then touching down. The Perseverance rover, along with Ingenuity, is searching for signs of ancient microbial life on Mars as part of its astrobiology mission.