NASA's Mars Helicopter receives its name from 17-year-old Alabama student

The Tuscaloosa County high school student recommended the name, and her "motivation" behind choosing the name through the NASA "Name the Rover" essay contest.

By ZACHARY KEYSER
NASA's Mars Helicopter a small autonomous rotorcraft in this artist rendition (photo credit: REUTERS)
NASA's Mars Helicopter a small autonomous rotorcraft in this artist rendition
(photo credit: REUTERS)
NASA's Mars Helicopter has officially been given a name: Ingenuity, thanks to Alabama High School student Vaneeza Rupani, 17, according to NASA.
The Tuscaloosa County student recommended the name, and her "motivation" behind choosing the name through the NASA "Name the Rover" essay contest. NASA states that the helicopter, manufactured by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will be the first aircraft to "attempt powered flight on another planet," and is set to arrive on our solar system's red planet February 21, 2021.
"The ingenuity and brilliance of people working hard to overcome the challenges of interplanetary travel are what allow us all to experience the wonders of space exploration," Rupani said in her essay. "Ingenuity is what allows people to accomplish amazing things, and it allows us to expand our horizons to the edges of the universe."
Rupani's essay was 1 of 28,000 that were submitted to NASA by kindergarten to twelfth grade students stemming from each of the fifty United States. The rover that will accompany the helicopter was named by seventh-grade student Alexander Mathers, which he dubbed: Perseverance.
"Ingenuity encapsulates the values that our helicopter tech demo will showcase for everyone when it takes off next year as the first aircraft on another planet’s surface," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who chose the name of the helicopter from the list of 28,000 essays.
"It took a lot of hard and ingenious work to get the helicopter ready and then placed on the rover, and there’s a lot more going to be required. I was happy we had another great name from the naming contest finalists from which I was able to select something so representative of this exciting part of our next mission to Mars," he added.
The news of the official naming by one of Alabama's own made it all the way up to one of the highest-sitting legislators in the state.
"I am proud that NASA’s Mars Helicopter will be named by Vaneeza Rupani of Northport, Alabama," said Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, according to NASA. "This is a unique privilege. Ms. Rupani’s essay on why she chose the name 'Ingenuity' highlights her creativity, originality, and intelligence. Her grasp on the importance of exploration is extraordinary, and I am confident that she has a bright future ahead. Congratulations to Ms. Rupani on being selected for this prestigious honor."
As per NASA, Ingenuity will accompany Perseverance to Mars, with the helicopter strapped to the rover's belly "encapsulated in a protective cover to shield it from debris during entry, descent and landing" - which will launch near Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in July or August and is planned to arrive at the red planet six to seven months later.
When NASA deems the mission a go, the four-pound solar-powered aircraft will leave its protected capsule on the rover to be tested against Mars' cold dark nights. If it survives the cold, the team intends to proceed onto flight testing the helicopter to prove if powered flight can take place on Mars, which will compile vital information for NASA engineers for their future missions to Mars. The aircraft has already been tested in a chamber meant to simulate the conditions on Mars at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California - they are currently undergoing "final assembly and checkout" at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"In the early days of this project, the feasibility of flying at Mars was questioned," said MiMi Aung, Mars Helicopter project manager at JPL, according to NASA. "But today we have a helicopter down at the launch site, installed on the rover and waiting to board the rocket which will carry us to the Red Planet. Like Vaneeza said in her essay, ingenuity and hard work led us to see beyond what was logical to what was possible. Now Ingenuity will have its chance to fly at Mars."
As per the release, the Perseverance rover mission is part of a larger plan, which includes missions to the Moon. NASA intends to send the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024, to hopefully establish a human presence there by 2028 - eventually sending astronauts to Mars, piggybacking off of the information gathered through the upcoming Moon missions.


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