NASA helicopter record on Mars

NASA helicopter record on Mars

NASA helicopter record on Mars

After spending a year and a half on the ground of Mars, the helicopter Ingenuity sent by the US space research institute NASA has set a new record. This helicopter weighing 1 kg 800 grams flew in the sky of Mars for the 35th time on December 3. During this time, it set a new record of flying at a height of 46 feet (14 meters). News from CNN.

According to NASA, the Ingenuity helicopter hovered for 52 seconds on its 35th flight and covered a distance of 50 meters during that time. Earlier on November 22, the helicopter flew in the sky for a maximum of 18 seconds. Researchers have since updated the helicopter's software to further extend its lifespan. Then they experimentally flew the helicopter for a long time.

Scientists say software updates to the helicopter will now avoid collisions when landing on Mars' rocky surface.

Scientists thought when designing the Ingenuity helicopter, it was part of testing their technology on Mars. Initially, it was planned to fly this helicopter five times on the Martian soil. Since sending Ingenuity to Mars in February 2021 as a companion to the rover named Perseverance, it has been surprising. As Perseverance's companion flies around, watching for anything dangerous and deciding where to go in the future.

As a result of Ingenuity's success, NASA plans to send two more such helicopters to Mars later this decade to retrieve samples, Bob Balaram, Ingenuity's chief engineer, wrote on the NASA blog. The Mars Sample Retrieval Lander will be sent to Mars by the end of this decade. Such helicopters used for sample retrieval will have wheels instead of normal legs. Also it will have short arms. This arm will be used to collect samples from Mars. Apart from this, helicopters capable of collecting five kg samples are also being planned.

The Perseverance rover is currently collecting samples on Mars. The robot collected two samples of Martian sand on December 2 and 6. The robot will leave these samples at a place at the end of this month. Scientists plan to bring these samples to Earth in a future Mars mission around 2030.

Does NASA have a helicopter on Mars?

Ingenuity, also known as Ginny, is a small robotic helicopter that is part of NASA's Mars 2020 mission, along with the Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars with Ingenuity attached to its underside on February 18, 2021.

How far did the Mars helicopter fly?

The helicopter was designed to fly for up to 90 seconds at a time at distances of nearly 980 feet (300 meters) and about 10 to 15 feet above the ground. When compared to the Wright Brothers' first 12-second flight, this is no small feat. The helicopter flies autonomously, with no human intervention.

How big is the helicopter on Mars?

Ingenuity is a very small helicopter, weighing just under 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms), though it weighs only 1.5 pounds (0.68 kilograms) on Mars. The craft is only 19 inches (48 centimeters) tall.