Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
The United States Space Agency’s Ingenuity Helicopter (NASA) who have landed on Mars ready to fly for the first time on the planet. This maiden flight on Mars took place 2 days after the successful initial pilot test.
The Canham team, chief of operations at Ingenuity, stated that the plan is for the first test flight to be carried out from the Jezero Mars Crater by hovering 3 meters above the surface for 30 seconds to take pictures of the Mars Perseverance rover vehicle, Sunday (11/4).
Canham said the helicopter was in good condition and “healthy.”
“Last night, we did a 50 RPM spin, where we turned the blade very slowly and carefully,” he said.
On Sunday, NASA will try vertical flight and spin for 30 seconds to take pictures of the Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars on February 18. Then Ingenuity will be lowered back to the surface.
The flight will take place independently with a program that has been prepared in the helicopter considering the signal it takes 15 minutes to reach Mars from Earth as well as the harsh conditions of Mars.
“Mars is not only difficult to land on but also tough when you take off and fly around it,” said Ingenuity Project Manager Mimi Aung.
He added that the force of gravity on Mars is significantly smaller than on Earth. According to him, this requires Ingenuity to rotate the propeller much faster than when flying on Earth.
“Put it all together, and you have a vehicle that demands every input be precise,” said Aung.
Aung said the second test will be carried out today, with the rotor running at high speed.
“The only uncertainty remains the true Martian environment,” he said, citing possible winds.
NASA called the unprecedented helicopter operation extremely risky, but said it could reap invaluable data on conditions on Mars.
NASA plans up to five flights, each in a row more difficult, over a period of a month.
(mts/chs)
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