Aerial Experiments similar to Mars Ingenuity Helicopter- Free Lesson

Get students involved with the motion and movements of aerial drone devices and interpret movements happening on Mars vs earth maneuvers using hobby drones. With this exciting opportunity for learning you can demonstrate the differences in atmospheric pressure and gravity between Mars and Earth. Even thought Mars is over 185 million miles away, students can witness a small portion of what NASA's Ingenuity can accomplish. Discuss and explain how a hobby drone doesn't need to spin its blades as fast as the Mars Ingenuity helicopter and why there is a need for a two-rotor system instead of one to fly through a thinner atmosphere. Explain recharging and power output comparatives between both types of crafts.

Use a can of spray chalk that is washable and align students behind line. Place drone a safe distance away from line including drone operator. Place a jacket approximately 20 feet from hobby drone and identify the jacket as the Perseverance Rover. Show lateral spaciel movements of a drone in different directions over landscape. Raise the drone to a height of approximately 20 feet using the controller and explain that if this scenerio were to take place on Mars that most likely the rover would never climb to any distance of specified height due to Mars thinner atmosphere. Explain that in order for a helicopter to fly on Mars, a twin propeller mechanism is needed to attain height.

Have students plot drone manuevers on a piece of whiteboard and have the controller mimic the movements over landscape. Explain how the Ingenuity Mars helicopter relies on solar energy charging vs. the hobby drone, which uses soley battery charging from an outlet.

1) Drone X Pro Extreme

2) Whiteboard with markers

3) White spray chalk in a can

4) Jacket

Instill a sense of awe and amazement regarding the universe and space travel in prospective future space travelers.