Kim Stanley Robinson’s sci-fi book Red Mars includes both fixed-wing aircraft and dirigibles (or was it zeppelins — I don’t remember). I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the particulars, but I remember that the aircraft didn’t move very fast, and they took a long time to accelerate. The nature of the aircraft changes over the course of the 3-book series (Red, Green, and Blue Mars) because the inhabitants of Mars are terraforming, making the atmosphere more dense. What’s really fascinating to me in these books are the space elevators, including (I must admit) his description of the destruction caused when one is detached from the asteroid it’s anchored to.
I would be delighted to hear of an unmanned aircraft, dirigible, or balloon exploring Mars.
Yes, there is very little oxygen on Mars. The atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide. I suspect the engine would need to be electric, or the plane would have to carry its own oxidizer & fuel or a propellant that is self-combusting (like hydrazine mentioned in your link).
I discovered that in 2002 the Japanese flew an unmanned balloon (BU60) to an altitude of 173,000 feet (53 kilometers) on earth. The height surprised me. With the reduced gravity on Mars perhaps a dirigible or balloon would work there too.
I am not into flying ultralights but I have always enjoyed reading about flight.
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Kim Stanley Robinson’s sci-fi book Red Mars includes both fixed-wing aircraft and dirigibles (or was it zeppelins — I don’t remember). I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the particulars, but I remember that the aircraft didn’t move very fast, and they took a long time to accelerate. The nature of the aircraft changes over the course of the 3-book series (Red, Green, and Blue Mars) because the inhabitants of Mars are terraforming, making the atmosphere more dense. What’s really fascinating to me in these books are the space elevators, including (I must admit) his description of the destruction caused when one is detached from the asteroid it’s anchored to.
I would be delighted to hear of an unmanned aircraft, dirigible, or balloon exploring Mars.
Yes, there is very little oxygen on Mars. The atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide. I suspect the engine would need to be electric, or the plane would have to carry its own oxidizer & fuel or a propellant that is self-combusting (like hydrazine mentioned in your link).
I discovered that in 2002 the Japanese flew an unmanned balloon (BU60) to an altitude of 173,000 feet (53 kilometers) on earth. The height surprised me. With the reduced gravity on Mars perhaps a dirigible or balloon would work there too.
I am not into flying ultralights but I have always enjoyed reading about flight.