Probably on Monday 19 April the Ingenuity helicopter-drone took off above the surface of Mars. NASA has released a statement that sets at 9.30 (Italian time) the first attempt to set the record for the first flight on another planet. The expected date was April 11, but after some unsuccessful tests it was postponed. The Perseverance rover in recent days had taken over Ingenuity while it was busy testing its two counter-rotating rotors.
Flying to Mars is particularly difficult due to the very low density of the atmosphere compared to that on Earth. On the ground, the pressure on the Red Planet is only 1% of that on Earth. Ingenuity, which weighs 1.8 kilos, powered by solar batteries, will rise 3 meters during the first flight and for 30 seconds, enough time to take some pictures. Communications with Mars take 15 minutes and 27 seconds to cover the 278 million kilometers away from Earth.
April 18, 2021 (change April 18, 2021 | 14:23)
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