Ingenuity Mars It is an intelligent helicopter whose main mission is to fly over the planet Mars. It only weighs about 1.8 kg, making it quite light and easy to transport. However, it has huge conditions was going to bring great advances in the discovery of the universe.
In this article we are going to tell you all the Features, operation, and importance of Ingenuity Mars.
Key features
Let's take a look at the main features of this helicopter that aims to travel to another planet. The Ingenuity Mars rover features cutting-edge technology that revolutionizes space exploration. It was based on a project seeking to approve a new capability with a limited range. It features four specially made carbon fiber blades arranged in two rotors that rotate in opposite directions. opposites around a speed of 2.400 rpm. This speed is many times faster than a passenger helicopter on our planet.
It also features innovative solar cells, high-quality batteries, and other more sophisticated components. He does not carry any type of scientific instrument since is a separate experiment from the Perseverance of Mars 2020. It is the first aircraft to attempt controlled flight on another planet. And it is that the Ingenuity Mars helicopter is going to make the first attempt in history to blow up another planet.
Ingenuity Mars difficulties
What makes it most difficult for a helicopter to fly on Mars is its thin atmosphere. This makes it difficult to achieve sufficient lift. Mars' atmosphere is 99% less dense than Earth's. This means it has to be lightweight, equipped with rotors that are much larger and can spin faster than what would be needed for a helicopter of this model on Earth.
We must also take into account the temperatures on the planet. It is quite common for temperatures in some areas such as that of the landing drop at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit which is -90 degrees Celsius. Although the Ingenuity Mars team has approved temperatures like this, it is believed that it should perform well as intended. The cold will push the design limits of many parts of this helicopter.
Also, the JPL flight controller will not be able to control the helicopter with the joystick. Communication delay is an inherent part of spacecraft operation across interplanetary distances. Orders must be shipped in advance and engineering data will be returned from the spacecraft long after each flight. At the same time, Ingenuity will have a lot of autonomy in deciding how to fly to a waypoint and stay warm.
The Ingenuity Mars has already demonstrated some feats of engineering. The engineers demonstrated that it was possible to build a lightweight aircraft capable of generating enough lift in this thin atmosphere and being able to survive in a similar environment. They will test some more advanced models on specific space simulators at JPL. The whole team will count the success step by step to keep up to date with the discoveries that are going to be made.
Capabilities of the Ingenuity Mars
Scientists will be able to celebrate each of this aircraft's successes. Just surviving the launch from Cape Canaveral and making it through the entire cruise to Mars, landing on the planet, is already a success. Once on the red planet, it must be kept warm autonomously through the immensely cold Martian nights. The advantage of this helicopter is that it can be charged autonomously thanks to its solar panel. If the helicopter is successful on its first flight, further test flights will be attempted within the next few months. a window of about 30 Martian days, which equals about 31 Earth days.
If this mission is successful, future exploration of the red planet could include an ambitious aerial dimension. It is intended to demonstrate that the technology necessary to fly in the atmosphere can be built. If successful, they could allow the construction of other advanced robotic flying vehicles that could be included in future robotic and manned missions on Mars. They could also offer a unique vantage point not provided by today's high altitude orbiters.
Thanks to the development of this type of technology, we will be able to provide high-definition images and recognition for human rovers, even allowing access to terrain that is difficult for rovers to reach. The entire team He has tried his best to test Ingenuity on our planet's Mars. The importance of all this is to learn all the time so that it can become the best reward and to be able to host another dimension for the way we explore other worlds in the future.
Interesting data
The Ingenuity Mars will land in the so-called Jezero crater, a 45-kilometer-wide hole located on the surface of the red planet on the western edge of Isidis Planitia, a huge impact basin north of the Martian equator. In the distant past, this crater may have been an oasis. Between 3 and 4 billion years ago, a river flowed into a body of water the size of Lake Tahoe in the United States and deposited sediments filled with carbonates and clay minerals. The Perseverance Science team believes that this ancient river delta may have collected and preserved organic molecules and other potential signs of microbial life.
For more than five years, through small, incremental steps, JPL engineers have shown that it is possible to build a lightweight device that can generate enough lift in the thin atmosphere of Mars. It can also survive in the harsh environment of the earth. The final prototype requires testing hundreds of increasingly advanced models in the JPL space simulator. If any of these steps fail, the project will fail.