WASHINGTON, April 4, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – NASA’s Ingenuity mini-helicopter has
been dropped on the surface of Mars in preparation for its first flight, the
US space agency said.
The ultra-light aircraft had been fixed to the belly of the Perseverance
rover, which touched down on the Red Planet on February 18.
“MarsHelicopter touchdown confirmed!” NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
tweeted Saturday.
“Its 293 million mile (471 million kilometer) journey aboard @NASAPersevere
ended with the final drop of 4 inches (10 centimeter) from the rover’s belly
to the surface of Mars today. Next milestone? Survive the night.”
A photograph accompanying the tweet showed Perseverance had driven clear of
the helicopter and its “airfield” after dropping to the surface.
Ingenuity had been feeding off the Perseverance’s power system but will now
have to use its own battery to run a vital heater to protect its unshielded
electrical components from freezing and cracking during the bitter Martian
night.
“This heater keeps the interior at about 45 degrees F (7 degrees Celsius)
through the bitter cold of the Martian night, where temperatures can drop to
as low as -130F (-90 degrees Celsius),” Bob Balaram, Mars Helicopter Project
chief engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, wrote in an update on
Friday.
“That comfortably protects key components such as the battery and some of
the sensitive electronics from harm at very cold temperatures.”
Over the next couple of days, the Ingenuity team will check that the
helicopter’s solar panels are working properly and recharging its battery
before testing its motors and sensors ahead of its first flight, Balaram
said.
Ingenuity is expected to make its first flight attempt no earlier than
April 11, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory tweeted.
Ingenuity will be attempting to fly in an atmosphere that is one percent
the density of Earth’s, which makes achieving lift harder — but will be
assisted by gravity that is one-third of our planet’s.
The first flight will involve climbing at a rate of about three feet (one
meter) per second to a height of 10 feet (three meters), hovering there for
30 seconds, then descending back to the surface.
Ingenuity will be taking high-resolution photography as it flies.
Up to five flights of gradual difficulty are planned over the month.
The four-pound (1.8-kilogram) rotorcraft cost NASA around $85 million to
develop and is considered a proof of concept that could revolutionize space
exploration.
Future aircraft could cover ground much quicker than rovers, and explore
more rugged terrain.