NASA's Mars helicopter survives first night alone on the red planetApril 6, 2021 - 12:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - NASA's new space helicopter has survived its first night alone on Mars. After slowly unfolding from its hideaway in the rover Perseverance's belly, the 4-pound robot called Ingenuity dropped the last four inches to the ground on Saturday, April 3. By weathering freezing temperatures, Ingenuity has overcome one of the biggest hurdles in NASA's quest to fly the first drone on another planet, Insider reports. Ingenuity is set to conduct its first Martian flight as early as Sunday. If that goes well, the space drone will have a roughly 30-day window to attempt up to five increasingly difficult flights, venturing higher and further each time. NASA's Perseverance rover, which carried Ingenuity to Mars, will perch nearby and record video. That footage will help NASA collect crucial data about this technological demonstration, and it could pioneer a new method of exploring other planets. Having been deployed, Ingenuity is now in position for those flights. NASA spent $85 million developing Ingenuity. The rotorcraft has already proved tough enough to survive the nearly 300-million-mile journey to Mars and weather the planet's extreme temperatures. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |