NASA's Ingenuity helicopter got delayed on its supposed 19th flight last January 5 because of inclement weather on the neighboring planet of Mars. The famous space helicopter reached many places in the Red Planet already, revealing a lot before the Perseverance rover ventures to the unknown and collect samples of Martian rock.
NASA Ingenuity Helicopter Faces Delayed Flight
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter is now awaiting orders from the home base for its next flight on the Red Planet. According to NASA, a delay to the mission was due to the dust storms that formed near the region where Ingenuity's flight is taking place, supposedly posing a threat to the helicopter if it is pushed to the mission.
The delay took more than two weeks of NASA's supposed mission from January 5, now moving to Sunday, January 23 for its takeoff. The mission will focus on a reconnaissance flight that will tell astronomers of the following steps to take for their diggings and sample gathering.
The Ingenuity's mission also entails giving NASA a bigger picture of the Red Planet and mapping its surface using the cameras attached to the spacecraft.
NASA Mars Dust Storm: Is it a Danger?
The Mars 2020 mission with Perseverance and Ingenuity faces dangers on the Red Planet, and it is a natural phenomenon in the area. Of course, pushing forth with its mission will lead it to hazards as astronomers do not have the full knowledge of the effects it brings to the table, unlike strong fronts or weather problems on Earth.
NASA and its Mars Mission
NASA's Mars mission gets plagued with multiple delays this January, and it is because of the many weather problems in the planet that it is currently experiencing. On the other side of Mars, the InSight lander that got to the planet years before Perseverance's mission also faced a delay on its missions due to a dust storm that occurred on its surface.
However, that is not enough to decommission the spacecraft and its expedition that also looks into the uncharted territory.
The world looks closely at the Mars mission of both the InSight and Curiosity as they bring knowledge and information about Earth's neighbor that will explain a lot about how future missions will take place. Moreover, the information that it currently holds will be the key to the strategies and take of the first human missions on the planet.
NASA initially made the Ingenuity helicopter to make five flights on the Red Planet only and assist the Perseverance rover. However, it proved its capabilities by almost making it four times its expected lifespan and flights on Mars.
NASA's mission for the Ingenuity is still ongoing and is to resume operations within the week.
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Written by Isaiah Richard
