The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has postponed the first flight of a helicopter to Mars until April 14. The press service of the agency spreads the information.
The flight was scheduled for Sunday, April 11, but the delay was caused by problems that arose during testing the helicopter's high-speed torque rotor. In order to complete the mission, due to the low density of the Martian atmosphere, the aircraft must accelerate the propeller to 2537 revolutions per minute.
"During the testing, the helicopter's onboard computer encountered minor technical problems, but currently, the helicopter is in a safe condition and can be repaired remotely. Radio communication between Earth and Mars has also been successfully implemented. All the telemetry data coming from there has been received," said NASA.
Specialists are currently checking the telemetry to make a technical diagnosis of the helicopter and identify the problem. After a complete system inspection and repair, a specific flight time will be marked.
According to the plan, the helicopter, which weighs 1.8 kilograms, should take off 3 meters above the ground and hang in the air for 30 seconds, after which it will land on the Red Planet again. Upon successfully completing the first flight, it is planned to fly much farther distances and at higher altitudes.
A helicopter named Ingenuity landed on the Red Planet in February 2021 with a Mars Rover to explore the planet. A Rover named Perseverance took a selfie with a helicopter on the 46th day of the mission.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is a small part of NASA's large-scale plan to explore the moon and Mars, including sending humans to both planets in the future.
