Coaxial Helicopters from Earth to Mars

Since the origin of rotary flight, the coaxial helicopter design has slowly been perfected. In coaxial rotorcraft, two counter-rotating rotor blade systems enable refined yaw and altitude control and eliminate the need for the tail rotor seen in traditional helos. The formidable Kamov Ka-52 Alligator Attack helicopter is a warfighting terrestrial version of the coax design. NASA selected the coaxial configuration for the very first aircraft flight using rotor aerodynamics in the Martian atmosphere. The...