Ingenuity, the first helicopter ever sent to another planet, has, after all, touched the Martian soil.
As mentioned by the American Space Agency (NASA) on 4 April, the helicopter touched down on the surface after being dropped from the belly of the Perseverance rover. The helicopter's first flight will occur in just over a week.
Officials with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California wrote in a Twitter announcement saying 'Mars Helicopter touch down confirmed!' It is further written that its 293 million mile (471 million km) journey aboard at NASA Perseveranvce ended with the final drop of 4 inches (10 cm) from the rover's belly to the surface of Mars that day. The tweet then indicates towards the next step of the helicopter of making a successful flight saying, "Next milestone?'
The tiny solar-powered helicopter is light enough weighing only 1.8 kg. Its battery is rechargeable which is capable to keep its systems warm even in the harsh temperature of Mars where temperatures at night can drop to as low as -90 degrees Celsius.
According to NASA, the historical device is expected to make its first flight on 11 April. But the data of that test will reach Earth only on 12 April.
As mentioned by NASA, the little helicopter's project cost 85 million US dollar(more than 10 billion Nepalese Rupees). Ingenuity, which is carrying two cameras to film its flight itself, is the first helicopter ever sent to another world and is also designed to test technologies for future flying vehicles on other planets.
Its upcoming flight will be recorded by the Perseverance rover as well.