NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter survives first night on Mars alone

NASA’s Ingenuity mini-helicopter survived its first night alone on the icy surface of Mars, the US space agency said, hailing it as “a major milestone” for the small craft as it prepares for its first flight.

The ultralight aircraft was dropped to the surface on Saturday after detaching from the belly of the Perseverance rover, which landed on the Red Planet on February 18.

Detached from perseverance, Ingenuity had to rely on its own solar battery to run a vital heater to protect its unshielded electrical components from freezing and cracking during the bitter Martian night, where temperatures can dip too. as low as minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit). 90 degrees Celsius).

Passing through the frigid Martian night was “a milestone for the small rotorcraft,” NASA said in a statement Monday.

“This is the first time that Ingenuity has been alone on the surface of Mars,” said MiMi Aung, Ingenuity project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“But now we have confirmation that we have the right insulation, the right heaters and enough power in its battery to survive the cold night, which is a big win for the team. We are excited to continue preparing Ingenuity for its first flight test. “

Over the next few days, Ingenuity will undergo tests on its rotor blades and motors.

If all goes well, Ingenuity should make its first flight attempt no earlier than the evening of April 11, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory said.

It will be the first aircraft to attempt motorized, controlled flight on another planet.

Tribute to the Wright brothers

Ingenuity wears a small piece of cloth that covered one of the wings of the Wright Brothers’ first plane that made the first powered flight to Earth at Kitty Hawk in 1903, to pay homage to this milestone.

Its attempt will also coincide with the 60th anniversary of the first human space flight, by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, and the 40th anniversary of the April 12, 1981 launch of the first space shuttle, Columbia.

Ingenuity will attempt to fly in an atmosphere that is one percent of Earth’s density, making it harder to achieve lift – but will be assisted by gravity which 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), hovering there for 30 seconds, then descending to the surface.

Ingenuity will take high-resolution photos as it flies from its “airfield” into Jezero Crater.

A series of flights is planned during its mission lasting 30 Martian grounds (31 terrestrial days).

“Our 30-soil test schedule is filled with exciting milestones,” said Teddy Tzanetos, deputy director of operations at Ingenuity.

“Whatever the future holds, we will be acquiring all the flight data we can within that time frame.”

The four-pound (1.8 kilogram) rotorcraft cost NASA around $ 85 million to develop and is seen as a proof of concept that could revolutionize space exploration.

Future planes could cover the ground much faster than rovers and explore rougher terrain.

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© 2021 AFP