China successfully develops air-ground dual-purpose drone for scientific exploration of Mars

A Chinese research team has successfully developed an air-ground dual-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) weighing only 300 grams, equivalent to the weight of an apple, showing promising potential in future Mars exploration.

The UAV can take off at any time, traverse obstacles, and boasts superb endurance, according to the research team from the School of Astronautics of Harbin Institute of Technology. It is of vital significance for scientific exploration of Mars, the team added.

Targeting special mission scenarios such as Mars exploration, the dual-purpose UAV is designed to be lightweight, compact, capable of takeoff and landing in a flexible way, and with minimal power consumption. The team has solved a series of technical challenges.

"On the ground, it mainly rolls by shifting its center of gravity. In the air, it relies on a pair of contra-rotating coaxial rotors, controlled by a steering engine to adjust the forward direction, to control torque and force, ultimately achieving stable flight," said Zhu Yimin, Ph.D candidate of School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology.

The research team has developed multiple models of air-ground dual-mode robots with different configurations, moving by rolling close to the ground, saving power, reducing energy consumption, and achieving a flight endurance time of more than six times that of drones of the same size.

"In terms of its future prospects, we hope that China can achieve Mars exploration through the air-ground dual-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle so as to have longer endurance and more time for observation. Our second goal is for such machines to be suitable for construction in many underground spaces and for exploring unknown underground spaces. We also need robotic means for inspection and environmental detection. We have now materialized all these functions," said Zhang Lixian, professor of School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology.

China successfully develops air-ground dual-purpose drone for scientific exploration of Mars

Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.

"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.

He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.

"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.

"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.

Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival