While a drone can cover greater ground, aerial imagery isn’t much of advantage over satellite imagery on Mars. The science right now is more about subsurface science than surface science. Science payloads are getting heavier if smaller. read more
The final craft will combine autonomous exploration with mapping and laser guidance to get around the changing terrain and find its way home. "The flight-control systems of commercially available small, unmanned, multi-rotor aerial vehicles are not too dissimilar to a spacecraft controller," DuPuis said. read more