The launch of the first audio recording of the Mars flight

(Dpa)

The US space agency NASA released the first audio recording of the Martian helicopter flight “Creativity”. And NASA said that the “persevering” rover, in which the small helicopter landed on Mars in February, recorded sounds with one of its microphones on its fourth “creativity” flight at the end of April. It is the first audio recording from a trip to Mars and the first made by a spacecraft on another planet from another spacecraft.

However, the helicopter’s sound could not be heard well, as “perseverance” was recorded from about 80 meters away, and a thin, windy Martian atmosphere silenced and drowned the helicopter’s flight noise. Scientist David Maimon said that even the few tones that could be heard were “a very good surprise” and “a goldmine for further understanding of the Martian atmosphere.”

“Perseverance” (German: Stamina) had previously sent audio recordings of his landing, his laser test and a flight over Mars to Earth. The rover – and the “creative” helicopter (in German, for example: ingenuity) was destroyed by a risky maneuver in a dry Martian lake called “Jezero Crater” at the end of February – after 203 days of flight and 472 million kilometers.

It took eight years to develop and build the $ 2.5 billion rover (about 2.25 billion Swiss francs). He is supposed to research traces of past microbial life on Mars and research the climate and geology of the planet.

Creativity first took off on April 19, making it the first plane to fly to another planet. Since then, the helicopter has already taken off three times. His mission, which was originally scheduled to last about 30 days, was initially extended by about 30 days.