Ingenuity, a spacecraft created by NASA, has achieved an incredible feat by becoming the first flying device on Mars. Together with the Perseverance rover, they landed on the Red Planet on February 18, 2021. While the main task of the rover was to conduct extensive scientific research, the helicopter was meant to test the feasibility of flights in the Martian atmosphere.
Ingenuity was designed as a lightweight drone weighing only 1.8 kilograms. Equipped with specially designed carbon fibers that move at a speed of 2400 rotations per minute, it was capable of taking off from the planet’s surface. Engineers had to find a delicate balance between the rotor speed and the risk of creating a shockwave that could destroy the helicopter.
The test mission of Ingenuity was supposed to last 30 days, during which five flights lasting no longer than 90 seconds were planned. Although the helicopter didn’t have overly complex tasks to perform, its computational power turned out to be significantly greater than that of the Perseverance rover. Equipped with a camera and navigation software, Ingenuity was able to provide images from heights of several meters.
Since its first flight, Ingenuity has encountered many difficulties. It had to deal with damage, a faulty sensor, and computer freezing during the Martian winter. Now, after nearly 1000 sols on the surface of Mars (a sol is a Martian day), the NASA team is conducting final tests and collecting data to determine the condition of the helicopter.
The success of the Ingenuity mission has great significance for future Martian explorations. Flying vehicles similar to Ingenuity will be included in upcoming robotic and crewed missions. They will enable ground control to conduct rapid reconnaissance and make decisions based on fresh observations. Ingenuity is opening a new era of Martian exploration, showing that landing and flying on the Red Planet is possible.
FAQ – Ingenuity: The First Flying Helicopter on Mars
The source of the article is from the blog combopop.com.br