NASA SHOCK: Space agency to send HELICOPTER to Mars in search for ‘signs of life’

A statement from NASA said the helicopter will “determine the habitability of the environment, search for signs of ancient Martian life, and assess natural resources and hazards for future human explorers.”

NASA’s drone-like spaceship will be remotely controlled from Earth and will travel through the top of the thin Martian atmosphere, where temperatures can reach as low as minus 90C.

The harsh conditions of Mars’ atmosphere make test flights extremely difficult to recreate on Earth, which is why NASA has been putting the small 1.8 kilogram helicopter through its vacuum chamber at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

MiMi Aung, project manager for the Mars Helicopter, said: “Gearing up for that first flight on Mars, we have logged over 75 minutes of flying time with an engineering model, which was a close approximation of our helicopter.