NASA has said that 8 April will be the earliest it makes the world’s first ever attempt to complete a controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet.

Before the four-pound Ingenuity Mars Helicopter attempts its first flight, both it and its team need to meet a series of milestones.

Ingenuity remains attached to the belly of NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars on 18 February.

Three days later, the rover deployed the graphite composite debris shield that protected the helicopter during landing. The rover currently is in transit to the “airfield” where Ingenuity will attempt to fly.

Once deployed, Ingenuity will have 30 Martian days, or sols, (31 Earth days) to conduct its test flight campaign.

“When NASA’s Sojourner rover landed on Mars in 1997, it proved that roving the Red Planet was possible and completely redefined our approach to how we explore Mars. Similarly, we want to learn about the potential Ingenuity has for the future of science research,” said Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. “Aptly named, Ingenuity is a technology demonstration that aims to be the first powered flight on another world and, if successful, could further expand our horizons and broaden the scope of what is possible with Mars exploration.”

NASA said that flying in a controlled manner on Mars is much more difficult than flying on earth.
Mars has gravity about one-third that of Earth’s, but its atmosphere is just 1 per cent as dense at the surface.

During Martian daytime, the planet’s surface receives only about half the amount of solar energy that reaches Earth during its daytime, and night-time temperatures can drop as low as minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius), which can freeze and crack unprotected electrical components.

“To fit within the available accommodations provided by the Perseverance rover, the Ingenuity helicopter must be small,” explained NASA. “To fly in the Mars environment, it must be lightweight. To survive the frigid Martian nights, it must have enough energy to power internal heaters.”

“Every step we have taken since this journey began six years ago has been uncharted territory in the history of aircraft,” said Bob Balaram, Mars Helicopter chief engineer at JPL. “And while getting deployed to the surface will be a big challenge, surviving that first night on Mars alone, without the rover protecting it and keeping it powered, will be an even bigger one.”

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