A group of students has conducted a flight test of a prototype aircraft, which could at Nasa Armstrong Flight Research Centre in California, US.

Known as Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars (Prandtl-M), the airplane is a small, remotely piloted glider aircraft that is capable of flying into the Martian atmosphere and sending its findings back to Earth.

Belonging to different US institutes, the students have been working on the prototype since last year and have created a steel construction launcher before the test flight.

Designed with their mentors at Nasa, the students have tested six different flight vehicle shapes to determine which worked best and use the design for the next flight vehicle.

“The first successful flights felt like a huge relief."

Irvine Valley College mechanical engineering student and project member John Bodylski said: “The first successful flights felt like a huge relief.

“At first, I didn't believe it and had to rewatch the footage from the flight.”

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Nasa offers opportunity to community college students to perform research and participate in its various projects mainly through two education programmes, namely the Nasa Flight Scholars and Education Unmanned Aerial Systems.

These programmes form a major part of the Prandl-M project.

Nasa Armstrong chief scientist and Prandtl-m programme manager Al Bowers noted that the students are also working on guidance and navigation autonomous systems, and sensors.

In the next phase, the group will continue to develop and integrate the airframe and autonomous systems of Prandtl-M and will meet the challenges that happen when such systems are incorporated.

Image: The Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars (Prandtl-M) flies during a test flight. Photo: courtesy of Nasa.