NASA Identifies Cause of Mars Helicopter’s Final Crash

2024 · VOA Learning English

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Transcript

1. The American space agency NASA says it has found the likely cause of a crash that grounded its Mars helicopter Ingenuity.

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2. The finding comes after NASA said it had carried out the “first aircraft accident investigation on another world.”

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3. Ingenuity arrived on Mars along with NASA’s Perseverance explorer, or rover, in February 2021.

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4. The experimental helicopter took its last flight, number 72, in January. That flight ended in a hard landing on the Martian surface.

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5. In April 2021, Ingenuity became the first aircraft to complete a powered, controlled flight on another planet.

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6. The aircraft was built to test take-off, short flight and landing operations.

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7. The flights on Mars aimed to support NASA’s efforts to build new aircraft that can fly in the atmospheres of other planets.

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8. Engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California fully investigated Ingenuity’s last flight on Mars.

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9. They found the cause of the crash was linked to the helicopter’s navigation system.

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10. That camera-based system was not able to collect dependable data on elements of the Martian surface to support a safe landing.

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11. A detailed, final report on the accident is to be issued in the coming weeks.

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12. But the engineers have already described their main findings in a statement published online.

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13. They said the helicopter’s last flight saw the aircraft climb to about 12 meters, where it stayed, or hovered, while capturing images of the Martian surface.

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14. Data records show Ingenuity began its planned descent after about 19 seconds.

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15. By 32 seconds, the helicopter was back on the surface and was no longer sending communication signals.

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16. The next day, Ingenuity team members reestablished communications and received images from its last flight.

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17. The images showed the aircraft suffered severe damage to its rotor blades

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18. NASA explained that Ingenuity’s navigation system plays an important part in collecting data about the surface to ensure the aircraft can complete a smooth

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19. landing. The helicopter uses a camera that points downward, capturing information about what is below the craft.

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20. In past flights, the engineers said the camera was able to find smooth, suitable landing possibilities.

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21. But NASA said during the final flight, the helicopter was traveling in an area with very few surface features for the camera to capture.

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22. This meant the aircraft’s navigation system could not find enough of these features to choose a good landing spot.

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23. At the time, Ingenuity was operating together with NASA’s Perseverance rover in an area of Mars known as Jezero Crater.

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24. The images recovered from Ingenuity suggested the navigation system’s inability to pick up surface features made the helicopter descend too fast.

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25. The hard landing on a sand hill is believed to have caused the helicopter to turn over and roll.

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26. The engineers said images showed that all four of Ingenuity’s rotor blades broke at their weakest point.

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27. The damaged blades also caused the aircraft to shake. Events related to the crash led to increased power demand, which resulted in the loss of communications.

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28. Although the crash ended Ingenuity’s flight operations, NASA said it is still able to provide and send back weather information and other kinds of data.

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29. The space agency says this information could be helpful in designing future aircraft or other explorers to be sent to Mars.

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30. Teddy Tzanetos is Ingenuity’s project manager.

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31. He said in a statement one major thing the team learned was that future aircraft designed for space travel do not necessarily need to be large flying machines.

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32. Tzanetos added that Ingenuity’s longevity suggests that “not everything needs to be bigger, heavier, and radiation-hardened” to work in the Martian

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33. With this in mind, NASA engineers have been testing smaller, lighter flying vehicles, with limited electronics, in order to produce future helicopters that can make a large number

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34. of smaller exploration trips. Tzanetos shared details about one aircraft NASA is currently developing.

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35. It is called the Mars Chopper rotorcraft. Tzanetos said Chopper is about 20 times heavier than Ingenuity.

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36. Developers say it would be built to carry several kilograms of science equipment, while self-exploring distant areas of Mars.

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37. Chopper would also have a much longer travel ability, flying up to 3 kilometers in a day. Ingenuity’s longest flight was 704 meters.

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38. Tzanetos said that overall, “Ingenuity has given us the confidence and data to envision the future of flight at Mars.” I’m Bryan Lynn.

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