NASA launches its atmospheric probe from a drone in a historic flight

NASA successfully tests its new drone-launched atmospheric probe, opening up new possibilities for planetary exploration.

Ruth Arteaga.

Published: December 15, 2024

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On October 22, 2024, the latest version of NASA’s atmospheric probe successfully completed a test flight , marking a significant advancement in space research . This innovative project builds on NASA’s previous research into lifting-body aircraft, potentially offering scientists a more cost-effective and efficient way to study other planets.

The probe, which was launched from a drone, flew steadily over the Mojave Desert, specifically over Rogers Dry Lake, near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. This new methodology of launching from a drone, instead of a traditional aircraft, opens the door to more affordable future planetary exploration missions.

Data collected during the flight are crucial to investigating how probes might operate on other planets, providing an alternative approach to planetary data collection .

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Launch of the atmospheric probe — Launching the probe from the drone. Source: NASA

Atmospheric probe tests open up new possibilities for space exploration

The test flight demonstrated that the atmospheric probe is completely stable, a major achievement for the engineers and scientists behind the project.

We are thrilled with the results. The probe flew perfectly, and we can now study how to improve its flight capability, possibly from higher altitudes, which would extend its flight time and the variety of maneuvers we could perform.
NASA principal investigator John Bodylski said, expressing his enthusiasm.

NASA Team — Justin Link, John Bodylski, Justin Hall, part of the NASA team. Source: NASA

If further testing is equally successful, this design could be chosen for a real space mission , where the probe would travel to a planet on a satellite. Once there, it would separate and enter the planet’s atmosphere to study its composition and characteristics — an invaluable tool for scientists interested in the origin of the solar system and beyond.

This breakthrough represents a significant step in the evolution of space technology. With the promise of a more cost-effective way to collect data, NASA is moving toward a new era of space exploration missions .

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Source and photos: NASA