The first helicopter sent to another world is well on the surface of Mars after having survived “Seven Minutes of Terror” upon landing on board NASA Perseverance.
Ingenuity helicopter, That landed on Mars with perseverance On Thursday (Feb 18th), he gets up and communicates with consoles on the ground.
Controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) received a downlink Friday at 6:30 pm EST (2330 GMT) through the Mars Exploration Rover, indicating 4 pounds. Helicopter (2 kg) and its base station are operating normally.
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“Both seem to be working great. With this positive report, we’ll go ahead with the helicopter batteries charging tomorrow,” Tim Canham, Head of Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Operations at JPL, He said in a statement on Friday.
The power surge procedure, which took place on Saturday (February 20), will charge the six “rotating” lithium-ion batteries to nearly 30% of their planned capacity, and the data will be sent back to Earth to determine how to proceed in the future. Battery charging sessions.
an amazing picture: Gorgeous! Watch the persevering rover hanging over Mars
For now, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory plans to charge the batteries to 35% of their capacity in another few days, then do weekly charging sessions to keep the helicopter warm on the cold surface of Mars – and ready for its final flight in a few months’ time.
The ingenuity takes its strength from persistence from the moment, but once the rover leaves the helicopter, the drone will fully charge on its own, using solar panels.
“ After perseverance spreads creativity on the surface, the helicopter will have 30 Martian days [31-Earth-day] An experimental flight test window, “the JPL said in a statement. Mars or” Seoul “is 24 hours and 37 minutes, compared to 24 hours on Earth, and The controllers operate in Mars time In the first 90 sols of the mission.
“If creativity survives the first chilling Mars nights – as temperatures drop to minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit [minus 90 degrees Celsius] – The team will continue the maiden flight of an aircraft to another world. “If Ingenuity succeeds in taking off and flying during its first flight, more than 90 percent of the project goals will be met. If the helicopter lands successfully and remains operable, up to four more flights can be attempted, each dependent on the latter’s success.”
Innovation journeys can pioneer a new generation From high altitude Mars explorers operating either independently or in conjunction with human landing missions in the distant future. Drones on the surface of Mars can scout rovers to map the best routes, or hover over dangerous terrain for scientific studies, among other applications.
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