Skypersonic has completed its 15-day tests with unmanned aircraft on Mount Etna, an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily. This place was chosen because of the geographical conditions that are similar to those of the Red Planet. As Skypersonic reports, the tests were successful. In 2021, the company signed a five-year contract with NASA to supply software, hardware, and support for drones and rovers for NASA’s future simulated Mars mission.
The high-tech drone Skycopter was used for the tests. The apparatus may be remotely controlled from any point, regardless of the distance between the ECU and the aircraft. For example, the Skycopter stationed in Italy was controlled by a group of scientists from Houston, Texas. Using a real-time long-range remote control system, the drone on Mount Etna was controlled by operators several thousand kilometres from the site of the flight.
Giuseppe Santangelo, CEO of Skypersonic, said: “It was an exhausting test that we passed with flying colours. We look forward to the ultimate test – at least on Earth – when our technology is used for NASA’s upcoming Mars simulation. We are confident that we will pass this test. During a simulated Mars mission, four crew members living and working in a 1,700-square-meter module on Earth, the Mars Dune Alpha, will conduct a series of missions – including remotely-controlled reconnaissance and collection of specimens from uneven terrain in other parts of the Earth, thousands of miles away.”
The results of the research, in which the devices collected samples for the exploration of Mars, were presented to the media at a press conference in July this year.
