NASA Mars Ingenuity Helicopter: Did It Survive the First Cold Night on Mars?

Ingenuity, NASA's Mars helicopter, has made it through the first frigid night on the Red Planet.

NASA said temperatures in Jezero Crater, an ancient lake bed on Mars where the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter are currently stationed, will drop to minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit. That's low enough to cause serious harm to the electrical and battery components of the helicopter.

Perseverance rover eventually freed the four-pound helicopter from its belly on April 4. Ingenuity unfolded from under the rover in a sequence of motions that resembled a butterfly's metamorphosis before falling the final 4 inches to the Martian surface.

"This is the first time that Ingenuity has been on its own on the surface of Mars," said MiMi Aung, Ingenuity project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, in a statement.

"But we now have confirmation that we have the right insulation, the right heaters, and enough energy in its battery to survive the cold night, which is a big win for the team. We're excited to continue to prepare Ingenuity for its first flight test."

It would be the first powered, managed flight on another planet if Ingenuity flies, which could happen as soon as April 11. Ingenuity brings a swatch of fabric from the Wright Brothers' aircraft, Flyer 1, as a nod to the first such feat accomplished on Earth.

What are the Challenges Ingenuity Faced in Mars?

For many factors, the engineers who designed Ingenuity, the first rotorcraft sent to Mars, faced a challenge. It had to be small enough to fit under the rover without jeopardizing Perseverance's goal, which is the first to look for ancient microbial life on Mars.

Ingenuity also had to be light to travel through the Martian atmosphere, which contains just 1% of the atmosphere found on Earth but also providing enough strength to heat itself and endure the frigid Martian nights. It's more difficult to produce lift and get aloft on Mars because of its thin atmosphere.

The rover backed away from the helicopter shortly after Perseverance deposited Ingenuity in the middle of its airfield. The solar array on the helicopter was able to collect enough sunlight as a result of this.

On April 4, Perseverance returned photographs of the helicopter's four legs lying on the ice. On April 7, the blades of the helicopter, which are currently stacked on top of each other, will be released, and the mission team on Earth will send commands to the helicopter to "wiggle" the blades.

The helicopter's computers must also be checked, which will enable Ingenuity to travel through the Martian atmosphere autonomously.

Ingenuity will send back data on the output of its power and thermal control systems over the next two days now that it isn't relying on the rover for power and heat. This will enable the helicopter crew to make the required adjustments to ensure that Ingenuity survives the remaining 30 days of its mission.

Ingenuity is a technology demonstration, so its mission will be brief in comparison to the rover's two-year exploration of Jezero Crater. The helicopter has 31 Earth days, or 30 Martian sols, to perform up to five test flights now that it is on the Martian soil.

The helicopter will attempt to rise about 10 feet (3 meters) in the air from the center of its flat 33-by-33-foot (10-by-10-meter) airfield, turn, and touch down on the first flight. It should take about 30 seconds to complete the trial. The helicopter's ability to fly higher and longer will be tested in future flights.

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