The ingenuity of the first helicopter to fly to Mars was extended by a month

After proving successful That can fly to MarsOn Friday, April 30, NASA announced that the mission of the small intelligence helicopter has been extended for an additional month. The quest for ancient life on the Red Planet will now be responsible for supporting the rover of diligence in its core mission, for example, by driving or exploring inaccessible places by finding a safe path.

“Ingenuity moves from a technical demonstration mission to a functional demonstration mission that demonstrates the technical capabilities of the helicopter, where we gather information about the helicopter’s ability to provide operational support.” Perseverance, Lori Clay, director of NASA’s Division of Planets, told a news conference.

Maybe one day, human researchers will also come with flying devices to help them, which will also allow them to test this new phase, he explained. “Thirty days later, we’ll be able to assess where we are.”Furthermore, NASA did not refuse to further expand this experiment.

Be careful though, ingenuity “Not really designed for a long task”, Bob Balaram, chief engineer of the Delayed Machine, induces the detrimental effect of continuous cycles of freezing and thawing in particular. It would also be necessary not to crash ingenuity, while at the same time making its flights more and more dangerous.

Fifth flight in a week

So far, he has done it all wonderfully, including the fourth Friday, the longest ever: 266 meters in 117 seconds. The purpose of this aircraft is to find a new place where it can land safely. So far it has always returned to its original runway, but will not be so on the fifth flight, which is expected to happen within a week. This time, before the diligence, the ingenuity will fly without making the return journey. NASA expects two more flights in thirty days.

The helicopter’s mission was initially scheduled to be completed a month later as NASA was then expected to roll the rover faster and farther. It cannot keep up with the ingenuity speed as it has to recharge its solar panels between each flight.

But the researchers finally decided otherwise. They think they will find the area where diligence is currently located “Rocks that are the oldest material on the floor of the abyss” Jessaro, who landed the rover in February, as well “Rocks filled one day in the middle of the lake” This ditch was explained by diligent scientist Ken Barley. “We think it’s very habitable by creatures that may have been on Mars billions of years ago.”, He added. The first sample should be taken in July.

For the first time, in many years of diligence, the next task will be to collect samples to be brought to Earth.