Flying a helicopter on Mars: Nasa’s Ingenuity aircraft will soon take flight


Sarwat Nasir
  • English
  • Arabic

The Ingenuity helicopter sent to Mars aboard Nasa's Perseverance rover is scheduled to take its first flight in less than a month.

A flight zone was selected recently, and there the two-kilogram rotor-powered machine will perform test flights in the first week of April.

The Perseverance team will reveal more details during a live media briefing on March 23.

The delicate helicopter shared a ride with the $2.5 billion Perseverance rover, resting in its chassis underneath a protective shield.

Since landing on the Jezero Crater on February 18, the rover has been driving around, capturing images and shooting lasers to study rock structures.

It is the most advanced Mars mission yet and involves breakthrough technology to seek signs that there was once on the Red Planet.

Once Ingenuity is deployed, it will be able to fly up to 300 metres from the rover for environmental monitoring and to capture images.

It can fly three to five metres high for up to 90 seconds, but will climb only one to two metres for the test flights.

An illustration of the Ingenuity helicopter, scheduled to perform a series of test flights on Mars next month. Nasa
An illustration of the Ingenuity helicopter, scheduled to perform a series of test flights on Mars next month. Nasa

Ingenuity has four carbon-fibre blades arranged in two rotors that spin in opposite directions at 2,400 rotations per minute.

The high speed helps generate enough lift to become airborne in the thin Martian atmosphere.

It has six lithium-ion batteries for power and solar panels will keep those charged.

The rover will spend its time on Mars collecting samples, which scientists hope will be returned to Earth through a joint mission by Nasa and the European Space Agency.

Perseverance landed on the Octavia E Butler Landing site, named in honour of the award-winning American science fiction writer.

Scientists chose the Jezero Crater because it is believed the location was once the site of a lake, making it ideal for the hunt of clues to ancient life.

Perseverance rover's first drive on Mars - in pictures 

  • Wheel marks are left in the soil of Jezero Crater on Mars as Nasa's Perseverance rover drives on the Martian surface for the first time. Reuters
    Wheel marks are left in the soil of Jezero Crater on Mars as Nasa's Perseverance rover drives on the Martian surface for the first time. Reuters
  • A tall outcropping of rock, with layered deposits of sediments in the distance, marking a remnant of an ancient, long-vanished river delta in Jezero Crater. Reuters
    A tall outcropping of rock, with layered deposits of sediments in the distance, marking a remnant of an ancient, long-vanished river delta in Jezero Crater. Reuters
  • Tyre marks left by the rover as it moved for the first time since landing on Mars on February 18. EPA
    Tyre marks left by the rover as it moved for the first time since landing on Mars on February 18. EPA
  • Perseverance's main mission on Mars is astrobiology and the search for signs of ancient microbial life. EPA
    Perseverance's main mission on Mars is astrobiology and the search for signs of ancient microbial life. EPA
  • Perseverance is capable of driving 200 metres per day but Nasa engineers have additional equipment checks to run on the rover's many instruments before attempting such a distance. EPA
    Perseverance is capable of driving 200 metres per day but Nasa engineers have additional equipment checks to run on the rover's many instruments before attempting such a distance. EPA
  • The six-wheeled, car-sized astrobiology probe travelled 6.5 metres during a half-hour test spin within Jezero Crater. EPA
    The six-wheeled, car-sized astrobiology probe travelled 6.5 metres during a half-hour test spin within Jezero Crater. EPA
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S

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  •  About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime 
  • By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million 
  • 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries 
  • This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030 
  • At least one third of common cancers are preventable 
  • Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers 
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1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
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3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
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5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
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Name: Capt Shadia Khasif

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Breast cancer in men: the facts

1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.

2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash. 

3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible. 

4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key. 

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Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

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Profile of MoneyFellows

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Launched: 2016

Employees: 76

Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)

Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund

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