(ORDO NEWS) — NASA scientists reported that a strange purple glow appeared around the Martian drone. It is not known exactly how this happened, but the researchers have some suspicions.
The first drone on the red planet, where extreme weather conditions reign, has already made 18 successful flights. Despite this, the machine works great.
A dust storm is currently raging over Jezero Crater, where the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity drone landed, preventing another test flight.
However, scientists have good news as well. The dust storm is expected to subside in the next two weeks. Then the drone will fly, during which it will select interesting research targets for the rover.
Meanwhile, NASA scientists have made a very interesting discovery related to the drone. During the last flight, a strange blue-violet glow appeared around the car.
The glow effect could be the result of friction between two objects and the transfer of electrical charge between them, in this case between the drone blades and dust particles floating in the Martian atmosphere.
A bluish-purple corona of plasma appeared around the rotorcraft. “The faint glow will be most noticeable during the evening hours when the background sky is darker.
NASA’s Ingenuity Experimental Helicopter is not currently flying, but future drones may be released for evening flights, NASA physicist William Farrell said in a statement.
Evening drone flights will not be of great scientific value, but from a technical point of view, then these types of machines can move more efficiently because the air is denser.
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