NASA has released a computer rendering of its next helicopter design, the Mars Chopper, inspired by the success of Ingenuity.
The Ingenuity made its first flight on 19 April 2021, hovering 10 feet above the ground before safely landing again and has since completed 60 flights on Mars, helping to survey areas of interest for further study.
Ingenuity was designed as a small helicopter, closer to a drone, and was carried on board the Perseverance rover mission.
It was designed as a technology demonstration to prove that powered flight was in fact possible in the thin atmosphere of Mars, which has less than 1% of the density of Earth's atmosphere.
Following this success, NASA has now released a digital rendering of its next-generation design, known as the Mars Chopper, a collaboration between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the Ames Research Center.
While many details are yet to be confirmed, the new craft will be equipped with a greater payload capacity to carry equipment, such as imaging and analysis kits.
Similar to the Ingenuity, it is a drone like design, approximately the size of an SUV, powered by six rotors which each have six blades.