>>12952661>I guess 4 motors are more moving parts to break, but also what are they trusting the stability of that thing? Like have you seen how stable helicopters are? They are not.The atmosphere on mars is less than 1% of that on earth. That means it is much more difficult to maintain flight. Gravity is less on mars, but no where near enough to compensate for the 99% loss of atmosphere.
Because of this, they had to make the helicopter very light. Everything included, Ingenuity only weights around 4 pounds. That is 1.5 pounds on Mars.
It uses two propellers, rotating opposite one another to generate lift. That is a MUCH lighter option than a quad-copter with multiple, power hungry motors.
It is also highly stable. The center of mass is incredibly low, and the force of the blades will give it gyroscopic properties to stabilize itself. That's on top of the blades being able to pitch, allowing for fine-control in air.
