Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube Tumblr LinkedIn RSS
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Donate
    • Forum
    • Contact
    Login
    InfoStride NewsInfoStride News
    • Home
    • Business
    • Celebrity
    • Crime
    • Nigeria
    • Politics
    • Sports
    • Technology
    • More
      • COVID-19
      • Editor’s Picks
      • Health
      • Opinions
      • Press Releases
      • World
    Subscribe
    InfoStride NewsInfoStride News
    Home»Technology»NASA’s little copter is still soaring high after six months on Mars.

    NASA’s little copter is still soaring high after six months on Mars.

    Technology By Abiodun A.Sep 6, 2021No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Reddit VKontakte

    It was only supposed to fly five times. And yet NASA’s helicopter on Mars, Ingenuity, has completed 12 flights and it isn’t ready to retire.

    NASA's copter
    NASA’s copter

    Given its stunning and unexpected success, the US space agency has extended Ingenuity’s mission indefinitely.

    The tiny helicopter has become the regular travel companion of the rover Perseverance; whose core mission is to seek signs of ancient life on Mars.

    “Everything is working so well,” said Josh Ravich, the head of Ingenuity’s mechanical engineering team. “We’re doing better on the surface than we had expected.”

    Hundreds of people contributed to the project, though only about a dozen currently retain day-to-day roles.

    Ravich joined the team five years ago.

    “When I got the opportunity to come work on the helicopter project, I think I had the same reaction as anybody else: ‘Is that even possible?’”

    His initial doubts were understandable: The air on Mars has a density equivalent to only one percent that of Earth’s atmosphere.

    By way of comparison, flying a helicopter on Mars would be like flying one in the thin air nearly 20 miles (30 kilometers) above Earth.

    Ingenuity had to withstand the initial shock of takeoff from Earth, and then of the February 18 landing on the red planet following a seven-month voyage through space, strapped to the rover’s belly.

    Once in its new surroundings, the tiny (four pound, or 1.8 kilogram) copter has had to survive the glacial cold of Martian nights; drawing warmth from the solar panels that charge its batteries during the day. And its flights are guided using an array of sensors, since the 15-minute lag in communications from Earth makes real-time guidance impossible.

    See also  SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launches New Batch of Internet Satellite

    – Scouting duties –
    On April 19, Ingenuity carried out its maiden flight; making history as the first motorized craft to fly on another planet.

    Exceeding all expectations, it has gone on to fly 11 more times.

    “We’ve actually been able to handle winds greater than we had expected,” Ravich told AFP.

    “I think by flight three we had actually accomplished all of our engineering goals … (and) got all the information we had hoped to get;” said Ravich, who works for NASA’s famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which developed the helicopter.

    Since then, Ingenuity has flown as high as 39 feet (12 meters), and its last flight lasted two minutes and 49 seconds. In all, it has covered a distance of 1.6 miles.

    In May, Ingenuity flew its first one-way mission; landing outside the relatively flat “airfield” that had been carefully selected as its initial home.

    But not all has gone smoothly. Its sixth flight brought some excitement.

    After being knocked dangerously off-balance by a malfunction affecting the photos taken in flight to help it stabilize, the tiny craft was able to recover. It landed, safe and sound, and the problem was resolved.

    Ingenuity is now being sent out to scout the way for Perseverance, using its high-resolution color camera.

    See also  PayTm to Assist 1 Million Application on Mini App Store

    The purpose is twofold: to chart a path for the rover that is safe, but also which is of scientific interest, notably in geological terms.

    Ken Farley, who heads Perseverance’s science team, explained how photos taken by Ingenuity during its 12th flight showed that a region dubbed South Seitha was of less interest than scientists had hoped.

    As a result, the rover might not be sent there.

    – Favorable conditions –
    After more than six months on the red planet, the little drone-like craft has gained a growing following on Earth, featured on coffee cups and T-shirts sold on the internet.

    What explains its longevity?
    “The environment has been very cooperative so far: the temperatures, the wind, the sun, the dust in the air… It’s still very cold, but it could have been a lot worse,” said Ravich.

    In theory, the helicopter should be able to keep operating for some time. But the approaching Martian winter will be challenging.

    NASA engineers, now armed with the data from Ingenuity’s flights, are already working on its next-generation successors.

    “Something in the 20 to 30 kilograms (range) maybe, able to carry science payloads,” said Ravich.

    Those future payloads might just include the rock samples collected by Perseverance.

    NASA is planning to retrieve those samples during a future mission — sometime in the 2030s.

    Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate

    NASA's copter
    Share. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Tumblr VKontakte Email LinkedIn

    Related Posts

    Relaunch Of Twitter’s Paid Verification Subscription Service Is On Hold – Elon Musk

    Nov 27, 2022

    Apple releases Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone 14 for Customers in the US and Canada

    Nov 15, 2022

    BudgIT launches TrackaMobile 2.0 App to aid Participatory Governance at the Subnational Level

    Nov 14, 2022

    Twitter Could Go Bankrupt Soon – Elon Musk

    Nov 11, 2022
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Get Social with Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter 6.5K
    • Pinterest 93
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    Latest Posts

    Laws Against Homos*xuality Are A Sin – Pope Francis

    Feb 6, 2023

    I Understand The Doubts About My Job At Leeds United – Jesse Marsch

    Feb 6, 2023

    Avoid Dating People Who Are Bitter About Their Exes – Temmie Ovwasa

    Feb 6, 2023

    Messi Can’t Score Goals Like Me – Romario

    Feb 6, 2023

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest breaking news straight into your inbox!

    Random News

    African countries happy over Jonathan’s defeat – Obasanjo

    Apr 25, 2015

    Toyin Abraham, Chioma Akpotha Collaborate On “Street Kid.”

    Apr 7, 2019

    Over 100 Million Nigerians Cannot Pay Hospital Bill – Yakubu Dogara

    Jun 23, 2017

    I Respect Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Lukaku

    Feb 4, 2020

    InfoStride News delivers the latest breaking news, Nigeria news, world news and top stories on business, celebrity, entertainment, politics, sports, technology and more. Experience the best of in-depth coverage, special reports, football highlights, political opinions, crime watch, celebrity gossips etc.

    GooglePlay Store Button

    Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism

    Credible journalism involves a lot of efforts and money; and can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. We need your support to continue offering free access to our loyal readers and visitors like you.

    Click here to Donate

    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube Tumblr LinkedIn RSS
    • Our Terms
    © 2023 InfoStride News. All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Continue with Facebook
    Continue with Google
    Continue with Twitter
    Lost password?