NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Landed on the Surface of Mars

The ultra-light aircraft was attached to the belly of the Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars on February 18.

“The touchdown of the Mars Helicopter has been verified!” The Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA sent out a tweet on Saturday.

“Today, @NASAPersevere’s 293 million mile (471 million kilometer) journey came to an end with a final drop of 4 inches (10 centimeter) from the rover’s belly to the Martian surface. What’s the next step? Get it through the night.”

Perseverance had driven clear of the helicopter and its “airfield” after falling to the surface, according to a photo that accompanied the tweet.

The Perseverance’s power system had been feeding Ingenuity, but it will now have to use its own battery to power a critical heater to prevent its unshielded electrical components from freezing and cracking during the frigid Martian night.

“This heater keeps the interior at about 45° F (7° C) through the bitter cold of the Martian night, where temperatures can drop to as low as -130° F (-90° C)” as Bob Balaram, Mars Helicopter Project chief engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, provided in an update on Friday

While it flies, Ingenuity can take high-resolution photographs.

Over the course of the month, up to five flights of rising complexity are scheduled.