Sky cranes are shaping the future of Mars missions

Sky cranes have revolutionized the way we land on Mars, pushing the boundaries of space exploration like never before. The landing of the Curiosity rover marked a pivotal moment in this technological leap forward.

The size and weight of the rover required a departure from traditional landing methods, leading to the innovative sky crane maneuver. The strategy has set a new standard for safety and accuracy in touching down on Mars.

Pursuing precision in the abyss

In contrast to previous landings, which employed airbags that bounced across the Martian surface, the sky crane technique brought a new level of precision, resulting in a smaller landing ellipse.

This method was further refined in the February 2021 landing of Perseverance, NASA’s newest Mars rover.

With additional assistance from terrain relative navigation, the rover landed safely in an ancient lake bed, a locale teeming with rocks and craters.

The journey to using the sky crane on Mars

Rewind to 1976. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) was already playing a key role in Martian exploration, working with NASA’s Langley Research Center on two stationary Viking landers which relied on expensive, throttled descent engines.

Fast forward to the 1997 landing of the Mars Pathfinder mission. With an airbag-encased spacecraft dropping from a height of approximately 66 feet, the novel landing technique was a resounding success. So much so, that the same technique was used to land the Spirit and Opportunity rovers in 2004.

However, it was clear that airbag landings had limitations – there were very few Martian locations that were deemed safe. “We barely found three places on Mars that we could safely consider,” noted JPL scientist Al Chen.

The sky crane: A technological leap

The airbag technique’s limitations became even more pronounced with the prospective landing of Curiosity, which was significantly larger and heavier.

Engineers realized that if they wanted to land larger spacecraft in more scientifically compelling locations, a technological leap was required. And so, in the early 2000s, the concept of a “smart” landing system began to emerge.

Armed with new types of radars for real-time velocity readings and a new type of engine, this system would foster greater precision in landing. The genesis of the sky crane maneuver was the innovative rearrangement of the propulsion system, which initially caused some confusion.

“People were confused by that, they assumed propulsion would always be below you,” noted JPL Fellow Rob Manning.

The future of space landings

The avant-garde solution ensured the rover’s wheels could touch down directly on the Martian surface, without requiring a separate landing platform. But how could a large rover be suspended from ropes without swinging uncontrollably?

Drawing inspiration from sky cranes used to manage heavy cargo on Earth, the answer was clear. The jetpack needed to have the ability to sense and control the swinging.

“All of that new technology gives you a fighting chance to get to the right place on the surface,” said Chen.

The implications became clear – this concept could potentially be adapted for larger spacecraft not just on Mars, but throughout the solar system.

“In the future, if you wanted a payload delivery service, you could easily use that architecture to lower to the surface of the Moon or elsewhere without ever touching the ground,” said Manning.

The evolution of Mars landings, from airbag deployments to the sky crane maneuver, is a testament to the pioneering spirit of space exploration. Driven by necessity and inspired by invention, it is this spirit that will continue to propel us to new frontiers.

The next steps in Martian exploration

As we stand on the brink of a new era in Martian exploration, the advancements in landing technology challenge us to envision future missions.

NASA’s Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon, paving the way for more complex missions to Mars.

With the potential for human habitats and scientific outposts, the challenge of landing heavy payloads becomes even more critical. Innovations like the sky crane maneuver will likely evolve further, incorporating advanced AI and autonomous systems for enhanced precision and safety.

The quest for life on Mars and the study of its geology demand that we push the limits of our technology, ensuring that the next generation of explorers continues to push boundaries and uncover the mysteries of our neighboring planet.

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