The US space agency Ingenuity helicopter completed its third flight yesterday on Mars. The helicopter made a historic flight of 50 meters high at a speed of 2m/s. According to NASA, this speed and distance were beyond even what had been previously tested on earth.
“Today’s flight was what we planned for and yet it was nothing short of amazing,” said Dave Lavery, program executive for Ingenuity Mars helicopter.
The helicopter had earlier on made its first flight on the red planet on 19th April.
According to NASA, the helicopter is demonstrating critical capabilities that could enable the addition of an aerial dimension to future missions to Mars and beyond.
Third flight in the history books✅
Our #MarsHelicopter continues to set records, flying faster and farther. The space chopper is demonstrating critical capabilities that could enable the addition of an aerial dimension to future missions to Mars & beyond. https://t.co/TNCdXWcKWE pic.twitter.com/Uaxrr23Rfh— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) April 25, 2021
After one month, the Ingenuity experiment will end to let perseverance continue with its mission of searching for signs of past microbial life on Mars.
Last week on Tuesday, NASA converted carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into breathable oxygen using an experimental device that was on board with perseverance.
The Ingenuity Mars helicopter team said it is planning for the fourth flight in a few days’ time.
