Perseverance Successfully Dropped Ingenuity Helicopter to Mars Surface; Unit Will Fly 4/11

NASA proudly announced late April 3, the Perseverance Mars rover successfully dropped the small helicopter Ingenuity four inches down to the surface of Mars where it will remain until April 11 when it is expected to take its first flight. The four-pound, solar-powered helicopter, had been attached to Perseverance’s “belly,” where it was kept warm by the rover’s nuclear-powered system, Space.com reported April 4. Now that it is detached from Perseverance, the helicopter is using its internal battery to power its heater, keeping it warm through the frigid Martian nights. Bob Balaram, NASA’s chief engineer for the Mars Helicopter project, explained that the heater will protect key components “such as the battery and some of the sensitive electronics from harm at very cold temperatures.”