Did you knowNeural is taking the stage this fall?
China is developing a Mars helicopter and it looks extremely similar to NASAs Ingenuity.
The announcement was spotted by SpaceNews Andrew Jones, who described the chopper as more Familiarity than Ingenuity.
CNNSC didnt reveal the purpose of the system, butspectroscopyhas a rich history on Mars.
Spectrometers have previously provided evidence of bothflowing liquid waterandmethaneon the planet.
Spectrometers are also attached to two rovers that are currently exploring Mars: Chinas Zhurong and NASAsPerseverance.
Zhurong is equipped with alaser-induced spectrometerthats investigating the make-up of rocks.
The objectives of Chinas new Mars drone, however, remain unclear for now.
Whatever they are, the rotorcraft will have big footsteps to follow.
Its lookalike,Ingenuity, has long surpassedNASAs initial goalof completing five test flights.
The chopper has now completed a dozen trips, while capturingstunningimagesof the red planet en-route.
NASA saysthe helicopter is paving the way for future rotorcraft missions on Mars.
The image of Chinas new prototype suggests that may well be the case.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
