A helicopter powered up in space. This is the feat that NASA achieved on August 7, announced the US space agency in a press release on August 13, reports Numerama .
The machine, called Ingenuity, is installed under the chassis of the Perseverance rover, which took off as part of the “March 2020” mission on July 30. The helicopter had never been ignited in space before, NASA points out on its website.
While on the way to the Red Planet, our Ingenuity @NASAMars helicopter had its batteries checked out and was powered up for the first time in space.
🚀 Keep up with the #CountdownToMars: https://t.co/71QFvlVxvA pic.twitter.com/dXplEC5nYo
Keep the batteries charged at 35%
For eight hours, researchers monitored the condition of the helicopter and recharged its power system to 35%. To arrive safe on Mars in February 2021 according to forecasts, the aircraft's batteries must be in a "low state of charge" upon landing.
The helicopter is directly powered by the Perseverance rover, under which it is placed. Ingenuity's ignition and charging operation should take place every two weeks. The craft should be the first flying object on the red planet. Once installed, it will recharge its six lithium-ion batteries using its integrated solar panels.
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