NASA's next Mars Rover mission in 2020 will score a historic first: the first aerial drone to fly in Martian skies.

The drone will be a helicopter specially designed to fly everyday for about two to three minutes to reach half a kilometer while withstanding the harsh Martian environment and surviving landing after landing. The machine that will accomplish these formidable tasks looks like a golden cube balanced on four spindly legs. It will be lofted into the air by two pairs of contra-rotating propellers.

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Engineers at NASA JPL are still testing the "Mars Copter" to see if it will head to the Red Planet with the rover. The solar powered helicopter and its wide-angle cameras will serve as the rover's long distance eyes.

Mars' very low density atmosphere is the main challenge the copter will have to overcome since its rotors must spin a lot faster to produce lift. Right now, the main rotors measure 3.6 feet from blade tip to blade tip. The copter's "fuselage" is a 2.2 lb. cube packed with electronics.

"It has to be autonomous in terms of being able to fly and maintain stable flight," said Bob Balaram, chief engineer of mobility and robotics systems at JPL.

"And then, this system has to repeatedly take off and land on natural rocky terrain like you see out here. And then, the other one is that it has to survive the harsh environment of Mars."

Balaram said NASA JPL is working hard to build a "bullet proof landing system" to ensure no damage is done to the drone during repeated use.

You can view a video of the Mars helicopter here.

The Mars 2020 rover will be based on the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover configuration. It will be car-sized, about 3 meters long; 2.7 meters wide and 2.2 meters tall. The proposed landing site for the mission is Jezero crater located in the Syrtis Major quadrangle.

The mission will investigate the ancient environment on Mars; its surface geological processes and history, including the assessment of its past habitability and the possibility of extant life on Mars, among other goals.

TagsMars, NASA, Mars Rover mission in 2020, helicopter drone