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