Lighter-Than-Air vehicle on Mars

[coda]

Thinking about Ingenuity, does anyone know why NASA preferred to test a rotorcraft first, rather than an LTA (Lighter-Than-Air) vehicle?

 

[tenchi]

Lighter than air vehicle????

 

[Wolfshadw]

Lighter than air vehicle????

Think Zeppelin or Blimp.

-Wolf sends

 

[Helio]

Thinking about Ingenuity, does anyone know why NASA preferred to test a rotorcraft first, rather than an LTA (Lighter-Than-Air) vehicle?

My guess is that Martian winds are too problematic. Surface winds can reach up to 60 mph. The thin atm. takes a lot of punch from those winds, but any air device will be lightweight, as well.

Nevertheless, perhaps a hybrid blimp-copter would make sense for future heavier loads because hydrogen would work just fine on Mars, vs. helium used on Earth.