The article “Mars helicopter Ingenuity: First aircraft to fly on Red Planet”, Gohd (2021) about NASA assessing the possibility to conduct flight on Mars with the Ingenuity helicopter as well as the challenges faced due to Mars’ environment.
The Ingenuity landed in Jezero Crater along with the Perseverance Rover, where scientists suspect it could contain information about past life on the surface of Mars. With Mars’ atmospheric volume being more than a hundred times thinner than Earth, taking off was a challenge. In addition, wind, dust storms, solar power management and keeping the craft warm through the chilly Martian nights were other challenges presented in the article.
On its second flight, craft demonstrated its capacity to take off and turn while in the air in order to direct its color camera in various directions. As the flights were more successful than anticipated, NASA declared that the helicopter's mission would be extended to looking for a new place to fly and taking pictures with its camera capabilities. Unlocking flight on Mars could be key in future research and settlement projects there.
Gohd, C. (2021, May 22). Mars helicopter ingenuity: First aircraft to fly on Red Planet. Space.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022, from https://www.space.com/ingenuity-mars-helicopter-perseverance-rover#section-mars-helicopter-ingenuity-future-applications
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