Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Illustration of the EscaPADE spacecraft in orbit around Mars.
Credits: Rocket Lab USA/UC Berkeley

While space officials at NASA, the European Space Agency, as well as planners in China plot out ultra-expensive and complicated missions to return samples from the Red Planet, there are an increasing number of Mars researchers blueprinting low-cost and novel ways to further explore the multifaceted planet.

Next up on Mars? One idea is this Mars aerial craft – the Hexacopter.
Credit: Theodore Tzanetos/NASA/JPL-Caltech

Be it via souped-up helicopters to inexpensive landers and orbiters, they say it’s time to script new ways to gather more data from a variety of places on that remote world.

Part lander, part shock absorber in one is the Small High Impact Energy Landing Device (SHIELD) concept.
Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech

Go to my new SPACE.com story for more details:

Mars on the cheap: Scientists working to revolutionize access to the Red Planet – The concepts include souped-up Mars helicopters and inexpensive orbiters and landers.

Go to:

https://www.space.com/cheap-mars-exploration-mission-ideas

Credit: USRA/LPI

BTW: NASA’s Mars Exploration Program invites the Mars community, including scientists, engineers, technologists, and industry representatives, to a three-day workshop early next year to share ideas and approaches for low-cost exploration of the Red Planet.

For more information, go to:

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lowcostmars2022/