NASA is finalizing a Perseverance Rover for the next Mars mission, which could start at any of the days in the period from 17 July to 5 August.
During the last weeks a team of engineers assembled the car, checked her willingness and has fuelled the tanks of the lander platform. To the bottom of the Rover was also attached a mini-helicopter, which will be the first in the history of the earth’s drone, flew over the surface of the red planet.
In the past year, NASA has proved that the helicopter can fly in the Martian conditions, it was confirmed by testing in the space simulator JPL: a vacuum chamber, in which was reproduced the atmosphere and gravity of Mars. NASA engineers managed to lift the drone to a height of 5 cm, it is enough to check all systems. The next flight he will do is already on Mars.
Helicopter weight 1.8 kg. It is equipped with two coaxial screws with a diameter of 1.2 m. After landing near the crater of Jezero Rover Perseverence will lower the drone to the surface and depart from it at a safe distance. For the first Martian helicopter planned series of several test flights up to 30 days.
