Comment on Are Those Spidery Black Things On Mars Dangerous?parentComments−mikeash13yThere is, to a first approximation, no atmosphere on Mars. To a slightly better approximation, there is an atmosphere on Mars, but only enough to cause trouble, not enough to actually be useful for anything.−wtracy13yThere's enough atmosphere for Nasa to seriously consider deploying airplanes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_aircraft−stephengillie13yWe've had the discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4261806A cessna would need wings as large as a 747 and be traveling about mach 1 to take off, iirc.−skeletonjelly13yThats an awesome metaphor! Going to use this one, thanks.−DiabloD313ySo it would need wings that have ten? times more surface... that doesn't mean this couldn't be done using small scale drone designs.−JonnieCache13yMach 1 where?−goodcanadian13yMach 1 always means the speed of sound in the local environment.−stephengillie13yOn Mars. Mach, the speed of sound (vibrations), varies with changes in heat, density, etc.
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There is, to a first approximation, no atmosphere on Mars. To a slightly better approximation, there is an atmosphere on Mars, but only enough to cause trouble, not enough to actually be useful for anything.
There's enough atmosphere for Nasa to seriously consider deploying airplanes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_aircraft
We've had the discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4261806
A cessna would need wings as large as a 747 and be traveling about mach 1 to take off, iirc.
Thats an awesome metaphor! Going to use this one, thanks.
So it would need wings that have ten? times more surface... that doesn't mean this couldn't be done using small scale drone designs.
Mach 1 where?
Mach 1 always means the speed of sound in the local environment.
On Mars. Mach, the speed of sound (vibrations), varies with changes in heat, density, etc.