NASA’s innovative helicopter has exceeded expectations after its first flight on Mars. After setting a date earlier this year for the first motorized flight on a planet other than Earth, the Ingenuity mission has been extended. It is now preparing for its fourteenth flight over the surface of the Red Planet.
However, things are getting harder for the helicopter. Mars’ atmosphere is thinner than Earth’s, so flying is a challenge to begin with. But the situation becomes more difficult with the increasing weakness of Mars’ air.
This happens because of the changing seasons on Mars.
Creativity has carried out “bold” missions before and has helped persistent explorers navigate the Martian surface and learn more about the planet. However, on its 14th flight, the helicopter will only test its high spin speed to test its ability to fly in thin air.
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On this flight, Creativity will rise up to 16 feet (5 meters) from the surface.
The Ingenuity mission is expected to last only a few months. But his success saw his mission expand. However, this brought unexpected challenges.
Creativity was not designed to withstand the changing seasons on Mars. And these differences are something that must be addressed now.
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The density of Mars’ atmosphere is about 1.5 percent that of Earth’s. However due to the difference, it will drop to 1 percent. While the difference may seem small on paper, it poses a significant challenge to the creative journey.
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The solution to this problem is to increase the rotor speed of the helicopter so as to create sufficient air cushion under the helicopter if the air is thin. However, NASA plans to see if higher rotor speeds can be achieved on Earth first before helicopters are allowed to fly.
Ingenuity’s 14th flight date has not yet been determined.
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