Martian Ingenuity helicopter survives its first night on the planet

The first spacecraft designed to fly in the atmosphere of extraterrestrial bodies, Ingenuity, in normal mode survived the first

Let us remind you that the frosts on the red planet sometimes lastdown to -90 degrees Celsius.

Mission

Ingenuity (“Ingenuity”)– a helicopter-type aircraft, which in 2018 became part of the NASA Mars 2020 mission. Its mass is 1.8 kilograms, and its maximum flight duration is – 90 seconds. After this time, the device should be charged from solar panels. The helicopter was equipped with a high-resolution camera that allows you to explore the surface of Mars without restrictions and transmit data to the Perseverance rover (Mars rover).

Survive extreme frosts for a flyingthe device was enabled by a solar-powered heating system that prevents overcooling of Ingenuity parts. And given the lightness of the helicopter, almost all of the electronic components are open.

NASA opinion

“Now we have confirmation thatwe used the right insulation, the right heaters and enough batteries to get us through this cold night. And this – a great achievement for our team. We are looking forward to the first flight tests”, – NASA says.

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