Mars helicopter ‘Ingenuity’
Mars helicopter ‘Ingenuity’
For the first time in the history of space exploration, the Mars 2020 mission is carrying a flying machine. The helicopter Ingenuity, weighing only 1800 grams, will autonomously rise to five metres above the Perseverance landing site in the thin Martian atmosphere and acquire images of its surroundings. Tests on Earth have shown that this will be possible with the ultra-light helicopter drone even in the Martian atmosphere, which is more than one hundred times thinner than on Earth. The wingspan of the rotor blades is 120 centimetres, and they will rotate at 2400 revolutions per minute. The power of 350 watts during the initially planned five demonstration flights will be supplied by solar cells and lithium-ion batteries.
