NASA's Mars Helicopter a small autonomous rotorcraft in this artist rendition
(photo credit: REUTERS)
NASA's
Mars Helicopter has officially been given a name: Ingenuity, thanks to
Alabama High School student Vaneeza Rupani, 17, according to NASA.
The
Tuscaloosa County student recommended the name, and her "motivation"
behind choosing the name through the NASA "Name the Rover" essay
contest. NASA states that the helicopter, manufactured by NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, will be the first aircraft to "attempt powered
flight on another planet," and is set to arrive on our solar system's
red planet February 21, 2021.
"The ingenuity and brilliance of people working hard to overcome the
challenges of interplanetary travel are what allow us all to experience
the wonders of space exploration," Rupani said in her essay. "Ingenuity
is what allows people to accomplish amazing things, and it allows us to
expand our horizons to the edges of the universe."
Rupani's
essay was 1 of 28,000 that were submitted to NASA by kindergarten to
twelfth grade students stemming from each of the fifty United States.
The rover that will accompany the helicopter was named by seventh-grade
student Alexander Mathers, which he dubbed: Perseverance.
"Ingenuity
encapsulates the values that our helicopter tech demo will showcase for
everyone when it takes off next year as the first aircraft on another
planet’s surface," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who chose
the name of the helicopter from the list of 28,000 essays.
"It
took a lot of hard and ingenious work to get the helicopter ready and
then placed on the rover, and there’s a lot more going to be required. I
was happy we had another great name from the naming contest finalists
from which I was able to select something so representative of this
exciting part of our next mission to Mars," he added.
The
news of the official naming by one of Alabama's own made it all the way
up to one of the highest-sitting legislators in the state.
"I am proud that NASA’s Mars Helicopter will be named by Vaneeza Rupani
of Northport, Alabama," said Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, according
to NASA. "This is a unique privilege. Ms. Rupani’s essay on why she
chose the name 'Ingenuity' highlights her creativity, originality, and
intelligence.
Her grasp on the importance of exploration is
extraordinary, and I am confident that she has a bright future ahead.
Congratulations to Ms. Rupani on being selected for this prestigious
honor."
As per NASA,
Ingenuity will accompany Perseverance to Mars, with the helicopter
strapped to the rover's belly "encapsulated in a protective cover to
shield it from debris during entry, descent and landing" - which will
launch near Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in July or August and is
planned to arrive at the red planet six to seven months later.
When
NASA deems the mission a go, the four-pound solar-powered aircraft will
leave its protected capsule on the rover to be tested against Mars'
cold dark nights. If it survives the cold, the team intends to proceed
onto flight testing the helicopter to prove if powered flight can take
place on Mars, which will compile vital information for NASA engineers
for their future missions to Mars.
The aircraft has already been tested
in a chamber meant to simulate the conditions on Mars at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California - they are currently
undergoing "final assembly and checkout" at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
in Florida.
"In the early
days of this project, the feasibility of flying at Mars was questioned,"
said MiMi Aung, Mars Helicopter project manager at JPL, according to
NASA. "But today we have a helicopter down at the launch site, installed
on the rover and waiting to board the rocket which will carry us to the
Red Planet. Like Vaneeza said in her essay, ingenuity and hard work led
us to see beyond what was logical to what was possible. Now Ingenuity
will have its chance to fly at Mars."
As
per the release, the Perseverance rover mission is part of a larger
plan, which includes missions to the Moon. NASA intends to send the
first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024, to hopefully establish a
human presence there by 2028 - eventually sending astronauts to Mars,
piggybacking off of the information gathered through the upcoming Moon
missions.
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