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Ingenuity, the first helicopter on Mars

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Science & Technology
  • Published
    20th Apr, 2021

Context

In a latest development, NASA has announced that Ingenuity helicopter marked the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet.

About the Ingenuity’s first flight

  • Characteristics: Ingenuity is the first helicopter to fly on Mars that was carried by NASA’s rover called Perseverance.
    • Ingenuity can fly using counter-rotating blades that spin at about 2,400 rpm.
    • It has a wireless communication system.
    • It is equipped with computers, navigation sensors, and two cameras.
    • It is solar-powered and is able to charge on its own.
  • Main task: The helicopter’s main task is to carry out a technology demonstration for testing the first powered flight on Mars.
    • It will help to collect samples from the surface locations where the rover cannot reach.
    • The helicopter’s mission is experimental in nature and is completely independent of the rover’s science mission.

Perseverance

It was landed at the Jezero Crater of Mars in February year.

  • It will look for finding past signs of life.
  • The rover is designed to study signs of ancient life and will collect samples that might be sent back to Earth during future missions.
  • It will test new technology that might benefit future robotic and human missions to the planet.

Other similar demonstrations

  • Mars Pathfinder rover Sojourner
  • Mars Cube One CubeSats

Significance of the flight

  • The experimental test flights will help inform decisions about small helicopters for future Mars missions.
  • It will perform multiple roles as:
  • a support role as robotic scouts
  • surveying terrain from above
  • full standalone science craft carrying instrument payloads
  • would give scientists a new perspective on a region’s geology
  • allow scientists to peer into areas that are too steep or slippery to send a rover
  • NASA will try to demonstrate rotorcraft flight in the extremely thin atmosphere of Mars with this helicopter.

Verifying, please be patient.