NASA launches first Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, as it travels through space

NASA already has some good news to share about its Mars Ingenuity helicopter, the high-risk, high-reward experiment destined for a date with the red planet. Ingenuity launched as part of the March 2020 mission in July.

The small helicopter, which is currently rustling through space in the belly of the Perseverance rover, alive and well. NASA announced on Thursday that it had successfully charged the helicopter on August 7 while in the middle of spaceflight.

“This marks the first time the helicopter has been built and its batteries charged in the space environment,” the agency said.

There are many unknowns around Ingenuity. Will it survive the difficult journey to Mars? Will its systems function as intended once Perseverance drops it on the planet’s surface? Will it fly?

The initial health check of the helicopter is a good sign. “We have to go many more firsts before we can attempt the first experimental flight test on another planet, but at the moment we all feel very good about the future,” said MiMi Aung, Ingenuity’s project manager at JPL.

NASA Perseverance rover ready to explore the wilds of Mars

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The boot and charge process took eight hours, and the Ingenuity team charged the lithium-ion batteries to 35%. The team will repeat the activity every few weeks. That means Ingenuity has a lot of charge to look forward to. Perseverance is not scheduled to reach Mars until February 2021.

If Ingenuity is a success, it can help open the skies on other worlds.

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