While the enitre world is worrying about the Covid-19 pandemic, we can still get excited about upcoming NASA missions to space. One of the most exciting upcoming missions will occur in July when NASA sends a small helicopter to Mars onboard the Perseverance Rover.

The drone-copter has a wingspan of 1.2 meters (4 feet) and is expected to perform five flights throughout the 30-day Mars mission. Although the helicopter will assist Perseverance in finding interesting targets, its primary mission will be to simply demonstrate that the technology is viable. In fact, this will be the first heavier-than-air craft flying on another world.

The helicopter is equipped with solar panels that charge its lithium-ion batteries and a heater that will keep it warm during the cold Martian nights. It will fly autonomously in conditions harsher than those experienced by any other flying vehicle on Earth. Mars’ atmosphere is only 1 percent of that on Earth, which is like being 30,000 meters (100,000 feet) above the surface of the Earth.

The mission will launch from Cape Canaveral in July and is expected to reach the Red Planet in February 2021, landing in the Jezero Crater. However, its maiden flight on Mars won’t happen immediately. A 2.5-month prepping period will be completed before this helicopter soars above the Martian surface. Amazing stuff!