The U.S. space agency NASA is reporting new progress on Mars for its experimental helicopter and Perseverance explorer. The helicopter, called Ingenuity, completed its ninth flight on the Red Planet on July 5. NASA described the flight as the most successful so far. This is because Ingenuity broke several new records: for length of flight, speed and distance. The helicopter’s movements are controlled by a team operating from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. The team said in the ninth flight, Ingenuity traveled for the first time across what it described as “unfriendly terrain.” The previous flights involved shorter trips over mostly flat terrain. The helicopter is working together with NASA’s Perseverance explorer, or rover. Currently, both are in an area of Mars known as “Stah.” The area contains rocks, sandy hills and craters. This kind of terrain can present challenges for Ingenuity, raising the possibility the aircraft could crash during flight or upon landing. The team says one reason for this is that Ingenuity was built to guide itself with an algorithm designed to fly it across mainly flat ground. The main goal of the Ingenuity experiment was to demonstrate that a helicopter could successfully take off, fly and land on Mars. The aircraft was not built to perform detailed searches and other complex operations. But since Ingenuity has progressed so well in previous tests, NASA controllers decided to push its limits even further. The team described the latest flight as a “nail-biter.” But in the end, it reported Ingenuity was “alive and well” after completing a trip of 625 meters through “challenging terrain.” The flight lasted 2 minutes and 46 seconds. The aircraft reached a speed of 5 meters per second. As it flies, Ingenuity captures detailed images of the surface of Mars. NASA says the helicopter’s ninth flight was designed to provide “the first close view of major science targets that (Perseverance) will not reach for quite some time.” The latest images will be studied by the Perseverance team, which will then decide which areas may be most valuable for the rover to visit. Ingenuity is supporting Perseverance’s goal to collect Martian soil and rocks to help scientists search for signs of ancient life on the planet.
Title: NASA’s Helicopter and Rover Make New Progress on Mars
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='NASAs Helicopter and Rover Make New Progress on Mars' data-article-id='5747'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='15146'>The U.S. space agency NASA is reporting new progress on Mars for its experimental helicopter and Perseverance explorer. </span> <span data-start-time='15146' data-end-time='25563'>The helicopter, called Ingenuity, completed its ninth flight on the Red Planet on July 5.</span> <span data-start-time='25563' data-end-time='32896'>NASA described the flight as the most successful so far.</span> <span data-start-time='32896' data-end-time='44042'>This is because Ingenuity broke several new records: for length of flight, speed and distance.</span> <span data-start-time='44042' data-end-time='55750'>The helicopter’s movements are controlled by a team operating from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. </span> <span data-start-time='55750' data-end-time='69729'>The team said in the ninth flight, Ingenuity traveled for the first time across what it described as “unfriendly terrain.” </span> <span data-start-time='69729' data-end-time='77542'>The previous flights involved shorter trips over mostly flat terrain.</span> <span data-start-time='77542' data-end-time='86771'>The helicopter is working together with NASA’s Perseverance explorer, or rover. </span> <span data-start-time='86771' data-end-time='93750'>Currently, both are in an area of Mars known as “Stah.” </span> <span data-start-time='93750' data-end-time='100396'>The area contains rocks, sandy hills and craters.</span> <span data-start-time='100396' data-end-time='114479'>This kind of terrain can present challenges for Ingenuity, raising the possibility the aircraft could crash during flight or upon landing. </span> <span data-start-time='114479' data-end-time='129875'>The team says one reason for this is that Ingenuity was built to guide itself with an algorithm designed to fly it across mainly flat ground.</span> <span data-start-time='129875' data-end-time='143833'>The main goal of the Ingenuity experiment was to demonstrate that a helicopter could successfully take off, fly and land on Mars. </span> <span data-start-time='143833' data-end-time='152729'>The aircraft was not built to perform detailed searches and other complex operations. </span> <span data-start-time='152729' data-end-time='166104'>But since Ingenuity has progressed so well in previous tests, NASA controllers decided to push its limits even further.</span> <span data-start-time='166104' data-end-time='172021'>The team described the latest flight as a “nail-biter.” </span> <span data-start-time='172021' data-end-time='187521'>But in the end, it reported Ingenuity was “alive and well” after completing a trip of 625 meters through “challenging terrain.” </span> <span data-start-time='187521' data-end-time='193208'>The flight lasted 2 minutes and 46 seconds.</span> <span data-start-time='193208' data-end-time='200083'>The aircraft reached a speed of 5 meters per second.</span> <span data-start-time='200083' data-end-time='208125'>As it flies, Ingenuity captures detailed images of the surface of Mars. </span> <span data-start-time='208125' data-end-time='224583'>NASA says the helicopter’s ninth flight was designed to provide “the first close view of major science targets that (Perseverance) will not reach for quite some time.”</span> <span data-start-time='224583' data-end-time='237958'>The latest images will be studied by the Perseverance team, which will then decide which areas may be most valuable for the rover to visit. </span> <span data-start-time='237958' data-end-time='253479'>Ingenuity is supporting Perseverance’s goal to collect Martian soil and rocks to help scientists search for signs of ancient life on the planet.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/A.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17743 data-hint-location='237958' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/ingenuity_is_supporting_perseverances_goal_to_collect_martian_soil_and_rocks_to_help_scientists_search_for_signs_of_ancient__blank__on_the_planet.wav'>Ingenuity is supporting Perseverances goal to collect Martian soil and rocks to help scientists search for signs of ancient <span class='blank'>life</span> on the planet.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='life'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/cheese.wav'><span>cheese</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/life.wav'><span>life</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/books.wav'><span>books</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/forks.wav'><span>forks</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17744 data-hint-location='93750' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/what_is_a_crater.wav'>What is a crater?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a large, bowl-shaped cavity in the ground or on the surface of a planet or the moon, typically one caused by an explosion or the impact of a meteorite or other celestial body'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/a_person_or_company_providing_food_and_drink_at_a_social_event_or_other_gathering.wav'><span>a person or company providing food and drink at a social event or other gathering</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/the_force_that_attracts_a_body_toward_the_center_of_the_earth_or_toward_any_other_physical_body_having_mass.wav'><span>the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/a_large_bowlshaped_cavity_in_the_ground_or_on_the_surface_of_a_planet_or_the_moon_typically_one_caused_by_an_explosion_or_the_impact_of_a_meteorite_or_other_celestial_body.wav'><span>a large, bowl-shaped cavity in the ground or on the surface of a planet or the moon, typically one caused by an explosion or the impact of a meteorite or other celestial body</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/a_starchy_plant_tuber_which_is_one_of_the_most_important_food_crops_cooked_and_eaten_as_a_vegetable.wav'><span>a starchy plant tuber which is one of the most important food crops, cooked and eaten as a vegetable</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17745 data-hint-location='77542' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/what_is_the_name_of_the_rover_that_the_helicopter_is_working_together_with.wav'>What is the name of the rover that the helicopter is working together with?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Perseverance'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/steve.wav'><span>Steve</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/eagle.wav'><span>Eagle</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/perseverance.wav'><span>Perseverance</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5201/gemini.wav'><span>Gemini</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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