Space travel
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NASA extends the mission of the Mars helicopter “Ingenuity”
The mini-helicopter is expected to hover around Mars longer than initially planned. Photo: NASA / JBL-Caltech / DPA
Washington There is still a lot to explore on Mars. After the failed attempt to take off yesterday, NASA is now expanding the mission of its “intelligent” helicopter.
The mini-helicopter is expected to hover around Mars longer than initially planned.
The mission, originally scheduled for about 30 days, was initially extended by 30 days, the US space agency NASA announced at a news conference on Friday. “After this 30-day period we will see where we stand,” NASA manager Lori Clace said. “There’s a chance it will go beyond that as well.”
Last week, “Intelligence” took off for the first time – the first aircraft to fly to another planet. The helicopter, powered by lithium-ion batteries, weighed 1.8 kilograms and then flew twice more – faster than before. A fourth attempt to launch failed early Thursday, but was successfully repeated on Friday as announced by NASA. Several more flights are planned.
The helicopter must cross extreme conditions on Mars: at night, the temperature drops to minus 90 degrees Celsius, which is a challenge for batteries and electronics companies. Due to the thin atmosphere, which is only about one percent dense on Earth, “intelligent” rotors must accelerate to 2537 revolutions per minute – many times more than helicopters can reach on Earth. “Intelligence” draws energy for its labor from its battery, which is supplied by the sun’s rays.
The mini-helicopter was set up at the end of February by NASA rover “Perseverance” (approximately: relying force in German) – after 203 days of flight and 472 million kilometers of travel – with dangerous maneuvering on dry Mars Lake. “Jessro Groove”. The approximate $ 2.5 billion (approximately 2 2.2 billion) rover took eight years to grow and build. He must search for traces of previous microbial life on Mars and study the planet’s climate and geography.
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