By 
March 12th, 2021
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is readying for launch the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter from a natural airfield in Jezero Crater.
Underneath the Mars Perseverance rover, the location of the mini-helicopter. Images taken by the SHERLOC WATSON Camera located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. Images acquired on March 12, 2021 (Sol 21).
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
As planned, the rover is to drive to the center of a selected “helipad,” then release the lock on the Mars Helicopter Delivery System. That’s followed by slow rotation of the helicopter down to the surface, deployment of the helicopter’s legs, along with charging of vehicle’s batteries to 100%, and then the gentle drop of 6 inches (15 centimeters) to the surface.
After the drop, Perseverance is to wheel away to expose Ingenuity to the Sun so the helicopter can recharge its batteries.
The craft weighs about 4.0 pounds (1.8 kilograms) on Earth, and about 1.5 pounds (0.68 kilograms) on Mars.
Perseverance will monitor the takeoff of the Ingenuity craft.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Flight test goals
When given the go, Mars Flight Test No. 1 is scheduled to launch at about 11 a.m. local time on Mars, when winds in the area are expected to be lightest and the battery will be at an adequate state of charge.
The goals of Flight Test No. 1: lift off, climb, hover, and land.
Ingenuity will be tasked with climbing at about 3 feet per second (1 meter per second) to an altitude of about 10 feet (3 meters). Then it is expected to hover for about 20 seconds and descend at about 3 feet per second (1 meter per second) until touchdown.
The Ingenuity team will attempt up to five flight tests during its 30-sol experiment window.
Image from Mars Perseverance Right Navigation Camera located high on the rover’s mast. Image acquired on March 12, 2021 (Sol 21).
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Future human Mars expeditions may use aerial vehicles to enlarge their exploration zones.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
As a technology demonstration, NASA has invested about $85 million to build the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, accommodate it on Perseverance, and operate the helicopter on Mars.
Check out this informative video detailing the up-coming helicopter release sequence:
Posted in Space News
