3 September 2016
A pencil thin , but broad winged glider soars gracefully against the butterscotch sky of the red planet and swoops to land in one of the deep canyons of the Valles Marineris. A simulation created by NASA perhaps, in anticipation of its forthcoming program to test the viability of making gliders that will fly on Mars ?
No- in fact as Cosmos readers will know, it is the opening sequence from “Home is the sailor” recently published in vol9 no2. in which a newly married couple from Marsbase take a very unusual honeymoon. The story is yet another example of how the JH strip anticipated future space technology , in this case in 1982 when the story was first published.
Just a few weeks ago NASA announced that it was beginning a series of tests using specially constructed gliders in Earth’s upper atmosphere , initially at 100,000 feet and later reaching 450,000 in order to simulate the Martian atmosphere and the challenges it will present to constructing an aerodynamically sound machine that could glide across the Martian terrain , and be able to take close-up photos of selected areas of the planet.
If all goes well the glider with be part of the next Rover mission in 2022 and will be ejected from the spacecraft at a selected altitude , open up and glide for about 20 miles before landing on the planetary surface.
Lets hope it doesn’t meet the same sad fate as the “Lovebird” in the JH story! Skipper Prossit
