NASA is now targeting the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on April 11th for the historic first attempt at powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet. The decision to move the launch date from April 8th to April 11th was announced Thursday by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.
“Come fly with us. #MarsHelicopter is preparing for something that has never been done before: controlled powered flight on another planet. The start is now planned for April 11th. The data will arrive on Earth on April 12, ”tweeted NASA’s JPL.
Ingenuity flew to Mars while attached to the belly of NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed on the Red Planet on February 18.
Once deployed, Ingenuity will have 30 Mars days or sols (31 Earth days) to conduct its flight test campaign.
“When NASA’s Sojourner rover landed on Mars in 1997, it proved that roaming the Red Planet was possible and completely redefined the way we approach Mars exploration. We would also like to learn about the potential of Ingenuity for the future of scientific research, ”Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science department at NASA headquarters, said in a statement.
“Aptly named, Ingenuity is a technology demonstration that aims to be the first powered flight on another world. If we can do that, we can broaden our horizons and expand the scope of Mars exploration.”
Controlled flying on Mars is far more difficult than flying on Earth.
The Red Planet has significant gravity (about a third that of Earth), but its atmosphere is only 1 percent as dense as Earth’s at the surface.
During Mars day, the planet’s surface receives only about half the solar energy that reaches Earth during the day, and nighttime temperatures can drop to minus 90 degrees Celsius, which can freeze and crack unprotected electrical components.
The Ingenuity helicopter must be small to fit in the available accommodations on the Perseverance rover.
To fly in the Martian environment, it has to be easy. In order to survive the cold Martian nights, it must have enough energy to supply internal heating with electricity.
The system – from the performance of its rotors in dilute air to solar panels, electric heaters, and other components – has been tested and retested in NASA’s JPL vacuum chambers and test labs in Southern California.
“Every step we have taken since we began this journey six years ago has been uncharted territory in aircraft history,” said Bob Balaram, chief engineer for the Mars helicopter at JPL.
