M
Mike Wehner
Guest
History was made today, though you probably didn't realize it. After all, it was made on another planet. NASA's Ingenuity helicopter — a small machine designed to take flight in the Martian atmosphere — did exactly what it was supposed to do and took to the skies for roughly 30 seconds. It reached an altitude of just 10 feet, but that was enough to make it the first manmade aircraft to ever fly on another planet. It's obviously a very big deal for NASA, but it's also a huge step for humanity as a whole, and as we inch toward a future where humans visit other planets in person, it's a small but significant step.
The aircraft took off at 3:34 a.m. EDT this morning. NASA picked its flight window based on when it believed the helicopter would have the most available power and when flight conditions would be the most suitable. It's important that the helicopter not just fly but land safely, and if a gust of wind were to push the helicopter it might end up crashing and sustaining damage. Thankfully, that didn't happen.
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NASA’s Mars helicopter took flight and lived to tell the tale originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 19 Apr 2021 at 16:03:16 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Via BRG - Boy Genius Report