14-04-2021 | 15:35 PM
Ingenuity Helicopter
NASA’s Ingenuity mini-helicopter has recently been dropped on the surface of Mars in preparation for its first flight. The helicopter had been fixed to the Perseverance rover, which touched down on the Red Planet.
It had been feeding off the Perseverance's power system but will now have to use its own battery to run a vital heater to protect its unshielded electrical components from freezing and cracking during the bitter Martian night.
Ingenuity will be taking high-resolution photography as it flies. Up to five flights of gradual difficulty are planned over the month.
Mars 2020 Mission was launched in July 2020, as a part of NASA's Mars Exploration Programme. The mission was launched from the Atlas-V Launch vehicle.
