HOUSTON (CNN) – The Ingenuity helicopter, companion and travel companion of NASA’s Perseverance rover, has reportedly reported and is working as expected, according to the agency.
If successful, Ingenuity will be the first helicopter to fly on another planet, leading to an “extraterrestrial Wright Brothers moment,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, co-administrator of NASA’s board of science mission.
The rover landed safely on the surface of Mars on Thursday after launching from Earth on July 30. Perseverance has already sent back an impressive set of images to show that she is safe and ready to undergo a “checkout” phase before embarking on her journey across the surface.
The mission team has now heard directly from the helicopter for the first time – and that’s good news.
Ingenuity is currently pinned under the straitjacket and attached to the belly of Perseverance. The rover is about the size of a sports utility vehicle, while the helicopter weighs only about 4 kilograms.
The helicopter was able to call home via the rover by sending data back through NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which serves as a communications relay between Mars and Earth and which has been orbiting the red planet since 2006.
Ingenuity is comfortable where it is and does not let go of the rover quickly for a test flight. The helicopter will stay snug with the crossbar for 30 to 60 days.
“Ingenuity, the Mars helicopter I carry works as expected. I’m currently charging it, but once I put it down it will only rely on its solar panels. If it survives the brutally cold Mars nights, the team will try flight, “read a tweet from the Perseverance Twitter account.
Ingenuity, the Mars helicopter I carry works as expected. I am currently uploading it, but once I put it down, it will only rely on its solar panels. If it survives the brutally cold Mars nights, the team will flee. https://t.co/8pksN06ZwP# CountdownToMarspic.twitter.com/80kEoww0QU
– NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) 20 February 2021
“There are two big-ticket items we’re looking for in the data: the charge status of Ingenuity’s batteries, as well as the confirmation that the base station is working according to design, and recommends the heater to turn off and keep on the helicopter’s electronics within an expected state, ”said Tim Canham, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Operations at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a statement.
“Both seem to be working well. With this positive report, we are continuing to charge (Saturday) the batteries of the helicopter.”
Ingenuity must accumulate and store energy so that it can keep itself warm and maintain other life functions during the cold Martian evenings as soon as the rover places the helicopter on the surface of the red planet. Then Ingenuity will be on its own.
And it will have to withstand nights where the temperature can drop as low as negative to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. As Elton John is famous in “Rocket Man”, Mars is indeed as cold as hell.
Maintaining function and good battery health will be crucial if the helicopter is to survive the icy March climate before attempting a test flight later. A total of five test flights are planned over a period of 31 days once the robber finds the right “helipad” or a nice flat place to deposit Ingenuity.
As long as Ingenuity is linked to Perseverance, the helicopter can boost its batteries. The helicopter has six lithium-ion batteries. Once removed from the car, the batteries will be charged through the helicopter’s solar panel.
The first flight from Ingenuity will be short, just about 20 seconds off the ground. But this will be a historic moment. Like the very first Mars rover, Sojourner, Ingenuity is a technological demonstration – an experiment. Proving that this concept can work could lead to the development of rotorcraft that could serve in the future as scouts for both robbers and human missions to Mars.
If the first flight is successful, ‘more than 90% of the project’s objectives will be achieved’, according to NASA.
Subsequent flights may take longer and test more of the helicopter’s capabilities. It has two cameras that can produce aerial photos. Perseverance will also train its cameras on Ingenuity to capture the sights and sounds, including video, of these historic flights.
“We are in uncharted territory, but this team is used to it,” MiMi Aung, project manager of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter at JPL, said in a statement. “Almost every milestone from here to the end of our flight demonstration program will be a first, and everyone must succeed in going to the next one. We will enjoy this good news at the moment, but then we must return to your work. . “
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