Nasa tests new 'Mars drones'

Nasa has started to test new technology which it hopes will help it explore Mars further.

The US Space Agency has already successfully flown a helicopter on the Red Planet.

It was called Ingenuity and was actually the first one in history to fly on another planet - but it did crash out of its mission in 2024.

Now the team are looking at the potential of using drones instead.

Researchers at the space agency want the new technology to have the ability to fly over "challenging areas" like the ones you find on Mars.

So Nasa has been testing new drone technology in a part of the Death Valley National Park, in California, USA.

The area, which is known for its extremely dry and hot conditions, has been used by the space agency for tests since the 1970s.

Researchers have been test-flying three drones over sand dunes there to help make improvements to technology the drones use to know where they are going.

They say that similar dunes on Mars caused problems for Ingenuity on some of its flights.

Roland Brockers, who is one of the researchers and drone pilots at Nasa, says they want "future vehicles to be more versatile and not have to worry about flying over challenging areas".

The drone tests are part of Nasa's Mars Exploration Program.

A total of 25 different technologies for Mars were funded for development this year as part of the program.

Another idea which got funding in the last year was the Mars Electric Reusable Flyer or MERF.

This robot has wings and two propellers which allow it to lift off and hover in the air.

Nasa has been testing a half-scale model, but the real thing will be the length of a school bus when it unfolds.