NASA s Mars Helicopter Succeeds In Historic First Flight By Issam AHMED
04/19/21 AT 8:20 AM
NASA successfully flew its tiny helicopter Ingenuity on Mars early Monday, the first powered flight on another planet and a feat a top engineer called our Wright brothers moment.
At 3:34 am Eastern Time (0734 GMT), the four pound (1.8 kilogram) rotorcraft lifted off, hovered 10 feet (three meters) above the Martian surface, then came back to rest after 39.1 seconds.
Data and images from the autonomous flight were transmitted 173 million miles (278 million kilometers) back to Earth where they were received by NASA s array of ground antennas and processed more than three hours later.
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Sputnik International
NASA has first successful powered, controlled flight on Mars
Data from the first flight will return to Earth a few hours following the autonomous flight.
and last updated 2021-04-19 08:46:28-04
The Ingenuity helicopter had successfully completed its historic flight on Mars.
The first powered, controlled flight on another planet took place at 3:30 a.m.
Data from the first flight returned to Earth a few hours following the autonomous flight.
You can watch Mission Control receive the first images below.
A postflight briefing will be held at 2 p.m.
The participants are:
Michael Watkins, JPL director
Bob Balaram, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter chief engineer at JPL
Shane McGlaun - Apr 19, 2021, 4:27am CDT
NASA has been working hard to get the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter prepared for its first controlled flight on the Red Planet. The helicopter ran into some issues that prevented it from having its maiden voyage into the sky of Mars earlier this month. NASA has worked out all those software issues, and that helicopter is now ready for its test flight.
NASA is currently targeting the flight for no earlier than Monday, April 19, at approximately 3:30 AM EDT. Data from the flight will return to earth a few hours after the autonomous flight takes place. NASA has announced that it will begin a livestream of the events at 6:15 AM EDT as the helicopter prepares to receive the downlink data from the Space Flight Operations Facility at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
NASA launches mini helicopter on Mars in historic feat
By IANS |
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NASA mini helicopter flies on Mars story. Image Source: IANS News
Washington, April 19 : In a historic feat for humankind, NASA on Monday successfully launched the first powered, controlled flight of its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on another planet.
The mini helicopter began its flight approximately at 3:45 p.m. (India time) and the data was received at NASA headquarters around 4.25 p.m. (India time). It took off a few feet from the ground, hovered in the air for about 20 to 30 seconds, and landed.
After this feat, the team will now attempt additional experimental flights of incrementally farther distance and greater altitude. After the helicopter completes its technology demonstration, Perseverance rover will continue its scientific mission.