Image: NASA

Faizel Patel – 19/04/2021

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter could make its first flight over the Red Planet on Monday, following a delay of more than a week due to a possible technical issue.

AFP reports the mini-helicopter’s trip will mark the first-ever powered, controlled flight on another planet, and will help NASA reap invaluable data about the conditions on Mars.

NASA says data will return to Earth “a few hours following the autonomous flight,” which would take off at approximately 3:30 am (0730 GMT).

Ingenuity’s first trip was initially set for last Sunday, but was delayed after a potential issue emerged during a high-speed test of the four-pound (1.8 kilograms) helicopter’s rotors.

NASA calls the unprecedented helicopter operation highly risky saying the flight is a challenge because the air on Mars is so thin,  less than one percent of the pressure of Earth’s atmosphere.