China ’s National Space Science Center is working on an aerial pilotless aircraft that bears a striking resemblance to NASA ’ Ingenuity eggbeater , currently on Mars . It ’s catch four outstretched wiry leg , two rotors stack atop each other , and a simplified fuselage . It ’s China ’s take on NASA’swildly successfulaerial drone pipe .
Apress releasefrom China ’s National Space Science Center suggests the fomite , called the “ Mars sail drone , ” has evanesce acceptance and will presumably advance to the next phase of development . finally , the Taiwanese aerial drone could make it to Mars , where it will police the landscape and further China ’s geographic expedition of the Red Planet . To that end , the Mars cruise drone will be equipped with a spectrometer for performing aerial surveys and for studying the Martian geology .
Andrew Jones from SpaceNews had the best take on this unembarrassed attempt to clone NASA ’s Ingenuity whirlybird . “ The fun way to put it would be that it is the opposite word of ‘ ingeniousness , ’ ” as hewroteon Twitter . A very good , albeit obvious , sunburn .
A prototype of China’s Mars cruise drone.Image: CNNSC
The fun style to put it would be that it is the opposite of ' Ingenuity '
— Andrew Jones ( @AJ_FI)September 1 , 2021
For sure , it ’s a blatant copy of NASA ’s design , but there ’s no mistaking China ’s intention in space . The country is make rapid progression , and it ’s speedily catching up to the other major players in place geographic expedition .
China has transport rovers to theMoonandMars , and it ’s presently build up its ownspace station , call Tiangong ( “ Heavenly Palace ” ) . More ambitiously , Chinahopesto transport a crewed commission to Mars in 2033 and even build an “ ultra - declamatory spacecraft ” that would stretch out for miles ( yep , you read that right ) .
China , of course , is not the only copycat when it comes to blank space . The Soviets hadtheir own Space Shuttle(known as Buran , but it never flew to blank space ) , and Russia lately disclosed itsdesignfor a reusable rocket , which looked exactly like SpaceX ’s Falcon 9 .
Hey , if you ca n’t beat ‘ em , you must sometimes join ‘ em . possibly in future NASA might copy a Chinese or Russian design , but only time will tell .
More : NASA ’s Helicopter Totally Flipped Out During Its Sixth Flight on Mars
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