Due to a technical failure, the first test flight of a NASA helicopter was scheduled for Sunday night, Monday morning CET, which would be the first on the surface of an alien planet.
The space agency said Saturday that there was a problem with testing the high speed of our rotors on a airframe called Ingenuity, so the test had to be interrupted. The first rotor tests were successful, so NASA announced Friday that the helicopter was ready for its first test flight, boarding and staying in one place.
According to a recent announcement by the space agency, there was a problem during a high-speed test of the rotors when the flight control computer was placed in flight mode.
Therefore, the first true test flight will not take place no later than April 14, after the error has been investigated and corrected.
NASA’s Mars helicopter innovation is “taking off” on the first historic flight on Sunday https://t.co/nsvVjyiR7v pic.twitter.com/cjwkWQium0
– Space.com (SPACEdotcom) April 10, 2021
The lightweight helicopter arrived on the red planet associated with the March of Perseverance on February 18. The drone-like device should start Flight lifetimeOn Mars. According to NASA, Ingenuity said despite a technical malfunction during Friday’s test ‘Healthy and safe’, You will continue to send data.
The 1.8-pound plane will attempt to ascend three meters in the extremely rare atmosphere of Mars on the first lap and return to the surface after 30 seconds of buoyancy in one place. A total of five progressively more difficult maneuvers are planned in one month and during flights. You will take high resolution photos.
The Mars helicopter was developed with $ 85 million and could revolutionize space exploration.
According to NASA, swamp helicopters could be suitable for mapping rock walls, caves and deep pits, as well as transporting scientific tools and helping humans and robots act as scouts.
Cover photo: An experimental helicopter called Ingenuity developed by NASA on Mars on April 5, 2021. (Photo: MTI / EPA / NASA / JPL-Caltech)
