Designed for Mars and tested in Antarctica, durable wind turbines can be found generating power all over the globe — and especially in remote areas with harsh climates, where electricity is often prohibitively expensive. This clean-energy alternative to diesel generators saves some communities hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
Solar panels will likely provide the primary source of power for future manned Mars missions, but NASA has also investigated the use of wind turbines for times when the sun isn't shining: at night or during thick dust storms that can cover the whole planet. The agency partnered with one company to develop and test a super-durable turbine in Antarctica, where the harsh wind and cold approximate conditions you would find on the Red Planet.
Learn more about how NASA helped develop technology that impacts wind turbines within your city's coastal environment!