An ingenious helicopter sends the first color photograph of Mars

we’ve got I’ve seen better photos of Mars, but this one is special because it was taken with the creativity helicopter. NASA spacecraft He managed to survive his first very cold night on Mars, which brought us closer To her maiden voyage.

The picture from Low resolution was captured on April 3 when Ingenuity was still under the wagon of perseverance. DrIn fact, you can see two rover wheels in the top corners of the photo. This image is a small preview of what is to come; a Time helicopter 1.8 kg It will attempt to capture high-resolution color images of its surroundings at heights up to 3 meters away.

The other good news, creativity It passed its first night on the surface of Mars As a standalone system, according to Release from NASA. The helicopter Has been solidified Down the rover until last weekend, however Survived free fall 10 cm. It was Thrown off He surfaced on April 3 and is now standing erect on all four outstretched legs.

This creativity that managed to survive its first night on Mars is a huge relief. Jezero Crater temperatures can be as low as –90 degrees Celsius At night. Sensitive electronic components and batteries can be severely damaged at these temperatures. Now that’s really it Do not stick to persevere, The helicopter You will need to run the heater from your own battery, which you will do by drawing power from the solar panels.

“No more free energy“, Wrote Bob BallaramChief Engineer of the Mars Helicopter Project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

in a Release“We now have confirmation that we have the right insulation, the right heaters, and adequate battery power,” said MiMi Aung, Ingenuity Project Manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. [de Ingenuity] To survive the cold night, which is a great victory for the team. “

The helicopter Will be watched On your own over the next few days to determine how well your power and heat control systems are performing and if any adjustments are necessary. Assuming that everything is fineThen, the next important step will be to edit relationships Which – which Autism Rotor blades, followed by Fan test And associated engines. The team will also evaluate the vehicle’s autonomous navigation system, along with a device that measures its direction and angular velocity during flight.

Perseverance, which conveys messages of creativity to mission watchers on the ground, Will move to From Zyl Overlook, The ideal point for a rover to look at and study 10 by 10 meters DependentAirport “ To which I deposited creativity.

Getting close Slowly, but from Constantly to This historical journey, in which we hope creativity It will become the first flying aerial vehicle In a strange world. NASA says the first flight could take place on Sunday, April 11th.

The helicopter does not carry scientific instruments, further From their cameras. The Innovation Mission is strictly intended to be a technical show, as NASA envisions future missions involving more advanced aerial vehicles. Space agency He reserved 30 sandals, or Mars Days, for these important tests.