NASA's Ingenuity drone photographs spacecraft wreckage on Mars

The drone with the name of NASA captured aerial photographs of the debris of the spacecraft that brought it to the planet Mars. NASA says this detailed aerial photography can provide valuable insights for future missions.

mars drone ingenuity 1

Ingenuity (meaning intelligence) is a small coaxial drone type helicopter, which together with the rover Perseverance, (which in Greek means perseverance) landed on the planet Mars on February 18, 2021. Both robotic are exploring the unknown planet on behalf of the American space agency NASA.

But the landing, even though it was by parachute, left debris on the planet. Both the same parachute they used to land on Mars, and the conical back shell that protected the rover as it descended from space to of Mars.

Drone Ingenuity undertook to take these photos because NASA engineers wanted to see this particular shooting angle to get further for the landing and inform future landings.

The state of the debris, which looks like a crashed alien spaceship from a science fiction movie, is due to the extremely rapid nature of the descent to Mars from space. NASA says vehicles trying to land must deal with extreme forces and high temperatureses as they descend at speeds of nearly 20.000 kilometers per hour.

mars drone ingenuity 2

The photos show a salvaged rear shell and one with debris that is the result of its impact with the surface of Mars at about 125 kilometers per hour.

While the debris have been photographed in the past from the Perseverance rover from the ground, this angle of view provides engineers with more detail and has the potential to help ensure safe landings for future spacecraft. The protective coating on the rear shell looks intact, as do many of the high-strength suspension lines that attach it to the parachute.

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Perseverance, Mars, rover, drone, Ingenuity, Mars, planet

Written by Dimitris

Dimitris hates on Mondays .....

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  1. The most dangerous species on planet Earth was and remains human. Now, after destroying almost every ounce of health on Earth, it is turning to other "neighborhoods", rehydrating the stratosphere with its myriad satellites and their remnants, the Moon, Mars. In fact, recently it was considered right to drop a nuclear bomb on the Moon. So. For the tastes find bro…

    In the movie Babylon AD, the play begins with: "We are told to save the planet." For what reason ; By whom ; From ourselves? What about God? Can it help us? I do not think so. God gave us everything to see how we would do. Even mice would do better if they managed the universe.

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