NASA: Mars’ first flight by helicopter “ingenuity” early Monday

NASA
The first flight from Mars by helicopter was “ingenious” the previous Monday

The first helicopter flight to another planet, which has already been postponed several times, is now due to take off quickly on Monday.

The next attempt for the launch is scheduled for Monday morning (6.30am CEST), the US space agency NASA announced. This effort may be postponed until further notice.

The first flight of the small “ingenuity” helicopter, which landed on Mars on the “Perseverance” rover in February, was originally scheduled for April 11, but was later postponed to April 14 due to technical problems. NASA says NASA engineers are currently working to troubleshoot problems with the helicopter’s computer software. Helicopter powered by lithium ion batteries is basically ready for use and in good condition.

The 1.8-kilogram “ingenuity” (German: த்தி)’s first test aircraft rises to an altitude of about three meters, orbits for thirty seconds and lands on the surface of Mars again. This will be the first flight of an aircraft on another planet.

The helicopter must withstand extreme conditions: Mars will be cold at night up to minus 90 degrees, the planet’s gravitational pull will be low and the atmosphere will be very thin. The mini-helicopter was placed on the stomach of “perseverance” (German: tolerance) at the end of February – after 203 days of flight and 472 million kilometers of travel – on a dry Mars lake with a dangerous maneuver known as the “Jesero crater”. Over the next two years it took diligence to explore this lake, which is about 45 kilometers in diameter.

dpa