NASA has extended Mars flight operations for an innovation helicopter.
Creativity landed on Mars just over a year ago with NASA’s Perseverance Explorer, or rover.
At first, NASA officials described the creativity as a show Mission. It was designed to see if the small plane could take off, fly a short distance, and then land on the red planet.
The helicopter quickly succeeded in these areas during a series of tests. NASA said the flights are the first time an aircraft has conducted a powered and controlled flight on another planet.
Last May, NASA announced that it was expanding the Ingenuity experimental mission. Since then, creativity has not stopped flying on Mars. So far, the helicopter has made 21 flights. On March 15, the space agency announced that it was extending the Ingenuity mission until September.
Thomas Zurbuchen is the Associate Administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. He praised the progress of creativity. “Less than a year ago, we didn’t even know if it was possible to fly a powered and controlled aircraft on Mars,” he said. “We now look forward to Ingenuity’s participation in the second science campaign, Perseverance.”
NASA says that during this upcoming science expedition, creativity will focus on exploring an ancient river system on the Jezero Crater. She worked brilliantly with perseverance in the Jezero region known as Séítah.
NASA says the river system that Ingenuity will help explore is very different from the areas it has flown over since its maiden voyage in April. Previous flights were conducted on mostly flat surfaces. The river system, called the delta, rises more than 40 meters above sea level crater a land. it contains driftsLarge boulders and sand filled areas.
Such areas can pose transportation challenges for the persistence wagon. NASA said the helicopter’s main purpose would be to help chart a safe path for persistence to cross the delta. In addition, the data provided by the helicopter will help the perseverance team evaluation Possible scientific goals.
The delta region is a good target for scientific experiments as it is believed to contain valuable geological features. NASA said the area may contain “the necessary evidence for this”. He specifies (If) microscopic life has existed on Mars for billions of years. Persevere on a mission to search for signs of ancient microbial life on Mars.
Teddy Zanitos is the creative team leader at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He indicated Delta Jezero’s campaign will be ‘biggest’ challenge The creative team has been facing since the first trip to Mars. In anticipation of upcoming helicopter activities, Tzanitos said he has increased the size of the team and Improvement Aircraft flight programmes.
The upgrades are designed to allow the Dexter to fly higher, travel longer, and improve safety in challenging conditions.
So far, Ingenuity has flown for more than 38 minutes and traveled 4.6 kilometers. NASA says the helicopter is 22not available The flight is expected to take place no later than March 19. It must include a “complex” movement that forces the aircraft to take a sharp turn to avoid a large hill in its course.
Ingenuity’s lead pilot is Håvard Grip. He noted that frequent flights quickly fill out a book he uses to record each flight. When the mission began, he said, he thought he’d be lucky to score five flights. “Now at the rate we’re getting at, I’m going to need a second book,” said Grip.
I’m Brian Lynn.
Bryan Lynn wrote this report for VOA Learning English, based on reporting from NASA.
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Words in this story
Mission – Nanometer Big project or trip, including space travel
crater – Nanometer A big hole in the ground caused by the force of the body
cliff – Nanometer An area containing tall, steep rocks
evaluation – Fifth. Make a judgment on quality, size, value, etc. from something
He specifies – Fifth. You formally decide something based on evidence or facts
challenge – Nanometer difficult task or problem; hard thing to do
to improve – Fifth. Improving something by making it newer or better