"Marsbees" chosen as potential pioneers of Martian exploration

The so-called Marsbees are among 25 ideas chosen to receive a 2018 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) award, which provides recipients with funding to develop their early-stage technology for space exploration.

"We are very excited about this opportunity," said Dr Chang-kwon Kang, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). "Flying on Mars is challenging because of the ultra-low density in the Martian atmosphere. Our preliminary work shows that bioinspired aerodynamic mechanisms can help in generating sufficient lift to fly on Mars."

At the centre of Kang’s proposal is the Marsbee, a robotic bumble-bee-sized flapping-wing platform whose large cicada-like wings have the ability to generate sufficient lift to hover in the Martian atmosphere. Integrated with sensors and wireless communication devices, the flyers would work in a swarm, with a mobile base serving as their recharging station and a main communication centre.