NASA is set to attempt the first flight of its Ingenuity helicopter on Mars early Monday, around 9:30 a.m. French time. Expect updates from the agency around 12:15 p.m. French time, after data transmission from the rotorcraft.
Mission engineers have spent days preparing Ingenuity's debut flight. Initial targets were April 8 and 11, but a rotor test issue prompted a redesign of the flight software.
Under project manager MiMi Aung, the team added key commands to the sequence, rigorously testing and validating them before upload.
With fixes complete, the flight is now slated for 9:15 a.m. French time Monday. Results will take hours to confirm, as Ingenuity sends data to Perseverance, which relays it via an orbiting Mars probe to Earth-based NASA antennas.
No live stream, but Perseverance, positioned nearby, will capture audio and video. NASA expects to release recordings the next day or soon after.
NASA anticipates Ingenuity's inaugural flight lasting 20 to 30 seconds, climbing about 3 meters. Mars' atmosphere, 100 times thinner than Earth's, demands blades spinning at nearly 3,000 RPM—ten times faster than Earth helicopters—for the 1.8 kg craft to lift off.
Success isn't certain, but it paves the way for 30 days of bolder flights at greater distances and heights.
Post-tests, Ingenuity will remain on Mars, potentially inspiring future aerial scouts for missions. These could map rover paths or ferry small payloads.
Perseverance will then prioritize its core task: hunting for signs of ancient life in Jezero Crater.
