NASA's Mars Ingenuity Helicopter Crashes to the Red Planet's Surface from the Perseverance Rover

SmArTviews April 06, 2021 Science

 NASA's Mars Ingenuity Helicopter Crashes to the Red Planet's Surface from the Perseverance Rover
Ingenuity will be attempting to fly in an atmosphere .

Over the next few days, the Ingenuity(creativity) team will watch if the helicopter's solar panels are working properly.

NASA's Ingenuity mini helicopter was launched to the surface of Mars in preparation for its maiden flight, the US space agency said.

The microlight aircraft had attached itself to the belly of the Perseverance rover, which landed on the Red Planet on February 18.

"#MarsHelicopter landing confirmed!" NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory tweeted on Saturday.

"His 471 million kilometer (293 million mile) journey aboard @NASAPersevere ended with the final 10-centimeter (4-inch) drop from the rover's belly to the surface of Mars today. The next milestone? Survive the night".

A photograph accompanying the tweet showed that Perseverance had drifted away from the helicopter and its "airfield" after falling to the surface.

The device had been drawing on the Perseverance's power system, but now it will have to use its own battery to run a vital heater to protect its unshielded electrical parts from freezing and cracking during the bitter Martian night.

"This heater keeps the interior at about 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees F) during the freezing cold of the Martian night, where temperatures can drop to -90 degrees Celsius (-130 F)," Bob Balaram, Head of the Helicopter Project Mars' Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer wrote in an update on Friday.

"That comfortably protects key parts like the battery and some of the sensitive electronics from damage in freezing temperatures."

Over the next few days, the Ingenuity(creativity) team will watch that the helicopter's solar panels are working properly and recharge its battery before testing its motors and sensors before its maiden flight, Balaram said.

The craft is expected to make its first flight attempt no earlier than April 11, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory tweeted.

The device will try to fly in an atmosphere that is one percent the density of Earth, which makes achieving elevation more difficult, but will be assisted by gravity that is one-third that of our planet.

The first flight will involve climbing at a speed of about three feet (one meter) per second to a height of 10 feet (three meters), staying there for 30 seconds, and then descending back to the surface.

The ingenuity will take high resolution photos while you fly.

Up to 5 flights of gradual difficulty are planned during the month.

The four-pound (1.8 kilogram) helicopter cost NASA around $ 85 million (roughly Rs. 620 crore) to develop and is considered a proof of concept that could revolutionize space exploration.

The aircraft of the future could cover territory much faster than rovers and explore rougher territory.

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