NASA helicopter makes record-breaking flight on Mars

NASA has published a video clip of its Ingenuity helicopter, which is making a record flight on the surface of Mars, in terms of duration and speed.
The robotic helicopter flew at 12 mph for more than two minutes and 41 seconds during its flight last month.
This is the 25th flight of the Ingenuity helicopter to the surface of the Red Planet.
The video showed footage of the undulating Mars sands and rock fields as part of the 2,310-foot flight, but the footage was sped up to 35 seconds, in order to reduce viewing time and not to bored viewers.

The video doesn’t include the beginning and end of the flight, but for good reason, the navigation camera was turned off when the Ingenuity helicopter came within 3 feet of the surface of Mars, to prevent dust from interfering with the navigation system.
The Ingenuity helicopter is currently preparing for its 29th flight, after it caused a temporary panic earlier this month, when its mission team lost contact, as the helicopter switched to a low-power state.
Although the Ingenuity is referred to as a helicopter, in appearance it is closer to the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have spread in recent years.
The small plane weighs only 1.8 kilograms compared to its four massive blades, and its number of revolutions (2,400 revolutions per minute), exceeding the speed required to lift it above ground level.
The helicopter will not have a problem with the gravity of Mars, because it makes up only a third of what is on Earth.

As for its design, the helicopter consists of a 4-foot, box-like structure, 4 blades made of carbon fiber, in addition to two cameras, a computer and navigation sensors.
It’s also equipped with solar cells to recharge its batteries, as a lot of energy is used to keep the plane warm on cold Mars nights, when temperatures drop to minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius).
And NASA notes that such small helicopters can provide better observation points than existing orbits or slow-moving roving vehicles on the ground, which will help determine the terrain range for ground robots or humans.
They can also help move light payloads from one location to another, such as rock and soil samples.