The article begins by delving into a recent momentous event – NASA’s Ingenuity, the miniature robot helicopter, successfully taking off and landing on Mars. This marks the first powered, controlled flight executed on any other planet, a monumental achievement indeed since the first powered flight on Earth in 1903 by the Wright brothers in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
About NASA’s Ingenuity
Ingenuity bears the honor of being the first helicopter to fly on Mars. It was transported to Mars by NASA’s rover, Perseverance, launched in July 2020. Equipped with counter-rotating blades spinning at approximately 2,400 revolutions per minute, Ingenuity is capable of attaining flight. It boasts an advanced wireless communication system and is replete with computers, navigation sensors, and two cameras. The entirely solar-powered helicopter is capable of self-charging.
The Helicopter’s Mission
Although experimental in nature and independent of the rover’s science mission, the helicopter’s primary aim is to assist in collecting samples from surface locations, unreachable by the rover.
Importance of the Flight
The insights drawn from these experimental test flights will guide future decisions about incorporating small helicopters in upcoming Mars missions. They can serve different roles such as robotic scouts, observing terrain from above, or as full standalone science craft carrying instrument payloads.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover
Perseverance made its landing at the Jezero Crater on Mars in February 2021. This crater, with rocks and minerals formed solely in water, was once an ancient river delta. Over the course of two years, Perseverance will be on the lookout for signs of past life. It is designed to study signs of ancient life, collect samples for future missions back to Earth, and test new technology for future robotic and human missions to Mars.
Mars: The Red Planet
Mars, the ‘Red Planet’, is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest in our Solar System. It’s about half the size of Earth.
Similarity to Earth
Despite a rotation period of 24.6 hours, fairly similar to Earth’s 23.9 hours, a Mars day or ‘sol’ lasts slightly longer. Mars also has a tilt of 25 degrees in its axis of rotation with respect to its orbit around the Sun, quite similar to Earth’s tilt of 23.4 degrees. Mars also has distinct seasons, like Earth, but they last longer due to its increased orbital period. Mars is also home to two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, believed to be captured asteroids.
India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan
Launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh in November 2013, Mangalyaan was carried by a PSLV C-25 rocket. Its mission was to study the Martian surface and mineral composition, as well as scan its atmosphere for methane, a potential indicator of life on Mars.