Webcast of NASA’s Mars rover “Perseverance” © Web Photo
An original NASA helicopter has landed on the surface of Mars before its flight. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirmed the MarsHelicopter landing in a tweet on Saturday.
A NASA ingenious helicopter has landed on the surface of Mars before flight, according to Reuters. A nifty mini helicopter has landed on the surface of Mars in preparation for its first flight, NASA said. The ultralight aircraft was fixed to the belly of the Trail Rover, which landed on Mars on Feb. 18.
NASA (nasapersevere) has completed a 293-million-mile (471 million kilometer) journey with the Mars Rover, and today the last distance from the Rover’s belly to the surface of Mars was 4 inches (10 centimeters).
The next milestone? “Survival,” the message said. A photo accompanying the tweet shows Perseverance dodging the helicopter and its “airport” after it crashed into the ocean.
According to the report, Perseverance’s power system has been its source of power, but now it must use its own batteries to run a vital heater to protect its unshielded electronics from freezing and cracking during the harsh Martian nights.
According to Bob Ballarom, chief engineer of the Mars Helicopter Project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, wrote in an update Friday, “This heater keeps the interior at about 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) through the bitterly cold nights of Mars, when temperatures can drop to -130 degrees Fahrenheit (-90 degrees Celsius),” Bob Ballarom said, “This can comfortably protect critical components such as batteries and some sensitive electronics from harm at low temperatures.”
Over the next few days, the clever team will check that the helicopter’s solar panels are working properly and test its engines and sensors before the first flight, according to Bob Ballarom.
Ingenuity” is expected to make its first flight attempt by April 11, according to a tweet from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Ingenuity will try to fly in an atmosphere that is only one percent as dense as Earth’s, which makes lift more difficult to achieve, but relies on a third of Earth’s gravity. The first flight will involve climbing to a height of 10 feet (3 meters) at a speed of about 3 feet (1 meter) per second, hovering there for 30 seconds, then descending back to the surface.
The report said the smart people will take high-resolution photos during the flight. Up to five flights of progressively greater difficulty are planned for this month.
According to the report, the development of the 4-pound (1.8 kg) rotorcraft, which cost NASA $85 million, is considered proof of a concept that could revolutionize space exploration. The future aircraft could cover ground faster than a rover and explore more rugged terrain.
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