Up next: Ingenuity Mars Helicopter making first ever attempt for flight test in another planet soon

KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 20

NASA's Perseverance rover landed flawlessly on Martian land on Thursday, sending back first look of the Red planet from rover's view. On Friday, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) issued high resolution images of the rover's descent and the Martian land.

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Members of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover team watch in mission control as the first images arrive moments after the spacecraft successfully touched down on Mars, on Thursday, February 18, 2021, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Mars Mission: Touchdown confirmed, NASA's Perseverance sends first looks of landing

An illustration of NASA’s Perseverance rover landing safely on Mars. Photo Courtesy: NASA

Mars Mission: NASA's sophisticated Perseverance rover to land on the Red Planet soon

The nicely coloured picture shows Perseverance being lowered by its skycrane. The camera aboard on the rover's jetpack captured it while in midair, before the wheels touched down.

More images include a full-colour image of Mars sent back by the rover's Hazard Cameras on the spacecraft's underside, a good view of the Martian soil with rover's wheel and image of the descent stage where Perseverance falls through the Martian atmosphere.

The Perseverance rover also has a companion – NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter – which will make the first ever attempt for a flight test in foreign environment.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shared this high-resolution image of Perseverance rover in its descent stage while being lowered by its skycrane⁣. Photo Courtesy: NASA
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shared this high-resolution image of Perseverance rover in its descent stage while being lowered by its skycrane⁣. Photo Courtesy: NASA

Perseverance’s first full-color image of Mars sent back by the rover’s Hazard Cameras on the spacecraft’s underside⁣. Photo Courtesy: NASA
Perseverance’s first full-color image of Mars sent back by the rover’s Hazard Cameras on the spacecraft’s underside⁣. Photo Courtesy: NASA

A look at one of the rover’s six large wheels on the Martian soil⁣. Photo Courtesy: NASA
A look at one of the rover’s six large wheels on the Martian soil⁣. Photo Courtesy: NASA

The descent stage holding Perseverance falls through the Martian atmosphere as seen by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (MRO/NASA) camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter⁣. Photo Courtesy: NASA
The descent stage holding Perseverance falls through the Martian atmosphere as seen by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (MRO/NASA) camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter⁣. Photo Courtesy: NASA

In the latest update, NASA's JPL shared that the Mars Helicopter is all well. It shared, "Mission controllers have received the first status report from the Mars Helicopter, which is currently attached to NASA's Perseverance rover's belly. The tech demo and its base station are operating as expected."

The first report was sent by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at 6:30 pm EST, Friday (5:25 am, Saturday, in Kathmandu).

JPL further stated that Perseverance will deploy Ingenuity to the surface very soon and then the helicopter will attempt a 30-Martian-day (31-Earth-day) experimental flight test window. It is reported that the helicopter will remain attached as long as 30 to 60 days.

This image from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Photo Courtesy: Jet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA
This image from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory shows Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Photo Courtesy: Jet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA

This will be a frightful adventure of the first flight of an aircraft on another world, never done before. The test will show the potential of Ingenuity to survive in "bone-chilling Martian night" where temperatures dip as low as -130 degrees Fahrenheit (-90 degrees Celsius).

One of the challenges for the Helicopter is that its batteries could be just enough to operate the test.

"There are two big-ticket items we are looking for in the data: the state of charge of Ingenuity's batteries as well as confirmation the base station is operating as designed, commanding heaters to turn off and on to keep the helicopter's electronics within an expected range," JPL's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter operations leader Tim Canham said.

"Both appear to be working great. With this positive report, we will move forward with tomorrow's charge of the helicopter's batteries," he reported.

NASA's JPL also shared that it is broadcasting a live with audio and video from Mars on February 22.