NASA's Mars Helicopter Spots Wreckage of Its Vehicle As If It's "From Another World"
Aerial images indicate that most of the protective layer on the wreck remains intact
Images of debris on Mars as taken by NASA's Ingenuity helicopter
An aerial survey of a portion of Mars' surface carried out by NASA's Ingenuity helicopter revealed "other world" images of the conical back cover that provided protection for the robotic explorer [ Perseverance ] during its fiery descent toward the surface of Mars . On February 18, 2021.
In general, entering Mars, landing towards its surface, and stabilizing on it is a challenge for any space mission, as spacecraft withstand intense gravitational forces, high temperatures and pressure changes when entering the planet's atmosphere at a speed of 20,000 kilometers per hour (12 thousand and 500 miles per hour).
While NASA's Perseverance rover made the best recorded landing on Mars in history, cameras show details of the process from the inflating of the parachute to the moment of landing, the rover also photographed the remains of the parachute and the black back cover at a time Previously, scientists say the new images from the helicopter provide extra detail and "a better perspective in a different way".
Engineer Ian Clark, who worked on the parachute system at Perseverance, said, "If [the images] confirm that our systems worked as planned or even provide one data set of engineering information that we can use in the Martian re-sampling scheme, that would be fantastic." Unless this is true, the photos are still wonderful and inspiring."
"They [the images] of course have a side of science fiction," Dr. Clark of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) added in a statement to the New York Times. .
Atmospheric images of the back cover and debris left by its impact on the surface of Mars at approximately 126 kilometers per hour (78 miles per hour) indicate that the protective coating remained intact during the probe's re-entry into the atmosphere.
"Many of the 80 high-strength suspension ropes that connect the rear cover to the canopy appear to be visible and in good condition as well," NASA noted.
While the new Martian images only show a third of the canopy, NASA scientists say the canopy shows no signs of being damaged by supersonic airflow during inflation.
"NASA" explains that capturing the images required the helicopter to perform several pre-planned flights and precise maneuvers, adding that making any definitive decision on the wreckage would require "several weeks of analysis."
"To get the shots we needed, Ingenuity did several maneuvers, but we were confident about it given that complex maneuvers were performed on Flight 10, 12 and 13," said Havard Gharib, chief pilot of the Ingenuity helicopter at JPL. The landing point enabled us well to photograph an area of interest to the science team tracking Perseverance on Expedition 2, near the Séítah outcrop.”
Scientists say this new area of operations for the helicopter in the dry river delta in the Jezero crater on Mars is an important departure from the "modest and relatively flat" terrain over which the helicopter has been flying since its first flight.
NASA noted, “As [the place] rises more than 130 feet (40 meters) above the crater floor and is filled with jagged cliffs, angular surfaces, protruding rocks, and pockets full of sand, the delta promises many geological discoveries, and may even constitute evidence of microscopic life. Size has been incubated by Mars billions of years."
Data from the Perseverance team's helicopter will help them assess their rover's potential science targets for further exploration, as well as assist in planning route lines.
Moreover, NASA indicates that the Ingenuity may be sent to image geological features far beyond the Perseverance rover.
Scientists add that the helicopter may be useful in exploring landing areas and sites on the surface of Mars, where it is possible to leave caches of samples taken for use in the "Mars Sample Return Program" that NASA proposed to implement.
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