US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says it expects to fly the first helicopter ‘Ingenuity’ on Mars in early April. NASA is targeting no earlier than April 8 for Ingenuity to make the first attempt at powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet.
Ingenuity remains attached to the belly of NASA’s Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars on February 18.The 1.8kg, twin-rotor aircraft will attempt a series of short hops in Mars’ rarefied air. If successful, it would represent something of a “Wright Brothers moment”, says Nasa.
The rover currently is in transit to the “airfield” where Ingenuity will attempt to fly. Once deployed, Ingenuity will have 30 Martian days, or sols, (31 Earth days) to conduct its test flight campaign.
Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, said, “Aptly named, Ingenuity is a technology demonstration that aims to be the first powered flight on another world and, if successful, could further expand our horizons and broaden the scope of what is possible with Mars exploration.”
Flying in a controlled manner on Mars is far more difficult than flying on Earth. The Red Planet has significant gravity (about one-third that of Earth’s) but its atmosphere is just 1% as dense as Earth’s at the surface. During Martian daytime, the planet’s surface receives only about half the amount of solar energy that reaches Earth during its daytime, and night time temperatures can drop as low as minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius), which can freeze and crack unprotected electrical components.
A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterise the planet’s geology and past climate, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).
