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KOMPAS.com- United States Space Agency Plans (NASA) flew a helicopter for the first time on Mars seems to be going well. The latest news says, helikopter Ingenuity surviving success in the first night was on the surface Red Planet cold and frozen.
NASA also called the success a major milestone before it prepared to make its first flight.
As quoted from Phys, Thursday (8/4/2021) Ingenuity helicopter finally detached from the body of the rover Perseverance NASA last Saturday.
For information, Ingenuity itself was dispatched to Mars at the same time as the Perseverance rover which landed on Mars on February 18, 2021.
Also read: NASA Ingenuity Helicopter Will Fly on Mars Next Month
In order to operate, NASA helicopter Ingenuity must first be released from the robot Perseverance explorer when it lands on Mars.
Once separated, Ingenuity relies solely on its solar-powered batteries to run the essential heaters that protect the electrical components from the cold Mars night.
The night temperature on Mars itself is estimated to be able to reach minus 90 degrees Celsius.
Making it through the cold Martian night was an extraordinary achievement for the NASA helicopter.
Also read: July 2020, NASA’s First Helicopter To Explore Mars Is Ready To Launch
“This is the first time Ingenuity has been alone on the surface of Mars, “said Mimi Aung, the Ingenuity project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“But we now have confirmation that Ingenuity has enough insulation, heating, energy in its batteries to survive a cold night. This is a big win for the team and we are excited to prepare Ingenuity for the first test flight,” continued Aung.
In the coming days, Ingenuity will undergo tests on its rotor blades and motors.
If all goes well, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, hopes that the NASA Ingenuity helicopter can make its first flight on Mars no later than April 11, 2021.
Also read: This helicopter carried by NASA’s Perseverance is calling Earth from Mars
That way the Ingenuity helicopter will be the first aircraft to attempt powered and controlled flight on another planet.
Later, Ingenuity will try to fly in an atmosphere that is denser than Earth, which will make lift more difficult.
Ingenuity will first rise 1 meter per second to a height of three meters. The helicopter then flies for 30 seconds and returns to the surface of the planet.
The plan, the NASA helicopter, Ingenuity will take high-resolution photos while flying from the Jazero Crater, Mars. Mission sequence the first helicopter flight on Mars, will last for 30 Mars soles or 31 Earth days.
Also read: July 2020, NASA’s First Helicopter To Explore Mars Is Ready To Launch
“The flight schedule will provide an interesting data milestone,” said Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity’s deputy head of operations.
No wonder the 1.8 kg helicopter is considered a concept that could revolutionize exploration. This is because Ingenuity can move faster and explore rugged terrain better than the Perseverance rover.
In addition, the helicopter, which cost about 85 million US dollars, also carried a message of tribute to the Wright brothers, the inventors of the airplane.
The tribute was carried out by carrying a small piece of cloth which was the cover of one of the wings of the Wright brothers’ first aircraft made in 1903.
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter first flight experiment on Mars also coincided with the 60th anniversary of the first human space flight by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961.
Also read: Photos of Mars Taken by NASA’s Perseverance Robot, Here’s the Face of the Red Planet
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