1 Min Read NASA Sends Mars Helicopter Blades Beyond Mach 1 PIA26649 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Photojournal NavigationSciencePhotojournalNASA Sends Mars Helicopter…Photojournal HomePhotojournal SearchLatest ContentGalleriesFeedbackRSSAbout Downloads NASA Sends Mars Helicopter Blades Beyond Mach 1 JPEG (1.38 MB) Description Engineer Fernando Mier-Hicks inspects a test stand used to investigate the performance of next-generation Mars helicopter rotor blades at high speeds inside the 25-Foot Space Simulator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in November 2025. Data from the tests indicate that the rotors could surpass the sound barrier without breaking apart. The test campaign was funded by the agency’s Mars Exploration Program in pursuit of maximizing the capability of future aircraft flying at the Red Planet. A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL manages the Mars Exploration Program for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Photojournal Photojournal Search Photojournal Photojournal’s Latest Content Feedback The post NASA Sends Mars Helicopter Blades Beyond Mach 1 appeared first on NASA Science.