The Mars 2020 project, including NASA’s latest rover, dubbed Perseverance, released excellent news recently. The rover completed significant testing at the space agency’s Kennedy Space Center. Procedures to estimate the mass characteristics of the Cruise Stage vehicle were conducted on an indoor spin table.
Successful operations were also completed on NASA’s Mars Helicopter, which will be attached to Perseverance. Other procedures include functional tests (50RPM spin) performed on the stand in the airlock. Such a test marked the last time when the rotor blades will be conducted until the rover arrives on Mars.
How NASA Will Operate the Mars Helicopter of the Mars 2020 Mission
NASA’s Mars Helicopter is a real success, and it will record a milestone. It will be the first aircraft to reach another planet. The Mars Helicopter has a twin-motor and is solar-powered. Engineers decided that it will be better kept encapsulated after landing. Then, they’ll determine if the area is accessible to perform test flights.
Last month, NASA confirmed and proudly announced Perseverance as the new title the Mars 2020 rover will receive. Alexander Mather gave the idea of such a name. He is a seventh-grader from Virginia who got amazed by NASA’s project. Alexander won the space agency’s “Name the Rover” essay competition. His interest in science was never he would consider before. But, he showed a lot of devotion and insight.
The Perseverance rover will reach the Red Planet next year, on February 18. It will be launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station sometime in mid-July. The rover is resembling Curiosity, measuring the size of a car. It was produced under NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. The mission intends to examine Mars’ surface for any signs of ancient microbial life, gather samples, and characterize the geology and the climate.
