The country is planning at least three more space launches by 2027 and eyes to have its first lunar lander by 2032
space3 months ago
Nasa has lost contact with its tiny helicopter Ingenuity during the hard-working craft's 72nd flight, the space agency said.
The agency's engineers are attempting to re-establish communications, which ended abruptly on Thursday as the craft was making its descent from a test flight, Nasa said late on Friday.
Ingenuity, which resembles a large drone, had arrived on Mars in 2021 with the rover Perseverance and became the first motorised craft to fly autonomously on another planet.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Data from the helicopter's flights are transmitted via Perseverance back to Earth.
On its flight on Thursday — "a quick pop-up vertical flight to check out the helicopter's systems, following an unplanned early landing during its previous flight," Nasa said — Ingenuity successfully attained an altitude of 40 feet (12 metres).
But "during its planned descent, communications between the helicopter and rover terminated early, prior to touchdown", the agency said, adding that "the Ingenuity team is analysing available data and considering next steps to reestablish communications."
In a post on X, Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory added that Perseverance was temporarily "out of line-of-sight with Ingenuity, but the team could consider driving closer for a visual inspection".
ALSO READ:
Nasa has lost contact with the helicopter before, including for an agonising two months last year.
The mini rotorcraft, which weighs just 1.8kg, has far exceeded its original goal of undertaking five flights over 30 days on the red planet.
In all, it has covered just over 17km and reached altitudes of up to 24 metres.
Its longevity has proved remarkable, particularly considering that it must survive glacially cold Martian nights, kept warm by the solar panels that recharge its batteries during daylight hours.
Working with Perseverance, it has acted as an aerial scout to assist its wheeled companion in searching for possible signs of ancient microbial life.
The country is planning at least three more space launches by 2027 and eyes to have its first lunar lander by 2032
space3 months ago
The mission named PREFIRE is expected to improve prediction by measuring heat escaping from Earth's poles for the first time
space3 months ago
Dubai Crown Prince reviews strategic plans for the development and launch of satellites under the UAE Satellite Programme
space3 months ago
Six people including 90-year-old former Air Force pilot Ed Dwight will blast off to space from the Launch Site One base in west Texas
space3 months ago
The Earth-observation satellite, named in honour of Mohamed Bin Zayed, will be launched on a SpaceX rocket
space3 months ago
Shareef AlRomaithi enters the Human Exploration Research Analog habitat at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center
space3 months ago
Starlink owns around 60% of the roughly 7,500 satellites orbiting Earth
space3 months ago
These rare emissions cause disturbances in the planet's magnetic field, creating the majestic northern lights
space3 months ago