The Ingenuity Mars helicopter has unlocked its two rotor blades as it prepares for the vehicle’s first flight, which is set to take place no earlier than Sunday (April 11th).
The ingenuity arrived on Mars on February 18 with NASA Persistence of a rover, after making the long trek to the Red Planet, tucked into the belly of the rover. On April 4, the small helicopter parted with Perseverance, preparing to take to the skies during a one-month test campaign. If Ingenuity’s Sunday outing is successful, it will be the first to be driven flight to another planet.
“The Fame Blades, also known as #MarsHelicopter rotary blades, have been unlocked and are ready for testing,”
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The process of preparing the field of ingenuity is slow and cautious, in part because 4-lb. (1.8 kilograms) a helicopter travels to Mars in a folded configuration, tucked behind a protective shield.
After the rover dropped this shield and headed for the airport, the helicopter staff had to order the device. unpack and slowly unfold. Insistence then had to put ingenuity directly on the surface of Mars and move away, allowing the helicopter’s solar panels to begin supporting the plane.
Unlocking and testing the fins of ingenuity marks the last important stages before the helicopter tries to fly. NASA officials said they would test the blades first at 50 and then at 2,400 rpm before the helicopter tried to fly.
Meanwhile, as the ingenuity prepares for the flight, Perseverance examines the landscape and continues to settle on the Red Planet. Among other activities, the car-sized car takes pictures of its own tire tracks and its advanced scientific arm.
Email Megan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
