Ornithopters on Mars

cloudwilliam writes "This article at Science News is reporting on how researchers at the Ohio Aerospace Institute and Georgia Institute of Technology are designing flying drones for future Mars missions that flap their wings like insects (drones...insects...get it? Right, sorry, that was bad). Apparently fixed and conventional rotary wing aircraft are impractical due to the thin air of Mars, but the light gravity makes large bug-like aircraft possible. They're calling them entomopters--from entomoi, junior high Greek for bugs with wings. Check it out." We've done lots of previous stories on aircraft for Mars exploration - until someone actually sends a mission with equipment on board, it's all speculation as to what designs might conceivably be used.

Comments

robot bugs

[tps12]

I don't know, call me old fashioned, but I think gigantor robot bugs is a bad idea.

Nice for tactical reasons

[JabberWokky]

If any of the colonists under the broad arrow get out of hand, we can simply tell Gay Deciever to execute an L-gun burn and torch their fuel supply dumps. Of course, the wogs are a bit creepy to watch working in the field, but as long as you muzzle them, they harvest the crops quite nicely, rather.

--
Evan "One of my favorite fun reads... how many SCA members decided to cross the bridge to Valhalla at the con at the end, I wonder"

What ?

[Guignol]

What horny troopers on Mars ??
damn !