Replace for 4:45 p.m. ET: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has now up to date Ingenuity’s flight log with statistics from the Mars helicopter’s 53rd flight. This story has been up to date to incorporate these figures.
NASA’s Crimson Planet helicopter took to the skies once more after a three-month pause.
The Ingenuity drone flew on July 22 on Mars, attaining Flight 53. In keeping with the the Ingenuity flight log, the helicopter fly horizontally and north throughout 468 toes (142 meters) of Martian terrain with air time of roughly 75 seconds. Ingenuity soared roughly 16 toes (5 meters) into the air and achieved a prime pace of 5.6 mph (2.5 meters per second).
Ingenuity is already gearing up for an additional flight; NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Twitter account already says 54 is within the works. “The #MarsHelicopter group is planning a brief pop-up flight, with the rotorcraft reaching 16 toes (5 meters) for about 25 seconds,” JPL officers wrote of Flight 54 on Thursday (Aug. 3).
Associated: Mars helicopter Ingenuity telephones dwelling, breaking 63-day silence
Anecdotal Twitter studies by keen-eyed Mars watchers, wanting on the uncooked footage coming in from the Crimson Planet, counsel the helicopter’s 54th flight occurred on or earlier than Aug. 2. JPL has not but launched any particulars of the timing, length, altitude, distance or pace of the flight on as of mid-morning EDT of Friday (Aug. 4).
The milestone 53rd flight occurred roughly three months after the final tour on April 26 when Ingenuity hopped behind rugged terrain and fell silent. That is as a result of it could not attain Perseverance, the large rover relaying communications to and from Earth, till the 2 autos got here inside view of one another on June 28.
Ingenuity has expanded its flight manifest by greater than fivefold. Despatched to Mars as the primary powered, managed plane on one other world, the unique plan known as for less than 5 flights in 2021. The helicopter has continued with aptitude by way of communications shortages, chilly climate, dusty circumstances and different issues endemic to engaged on the Crimson Planet.
The drone’s expanded mission now sees Ingenuity act as a scout for its companion Perseverance, which alighted on the floor in February 2021. Perseverance is on a hunt for historic liveable circumstances and is caching samples apart for a deliberate Mars pattern return mission. Lightsaber-shaped samples of Crimson Planet materials could ferry again to Earth within the 2030s, relying on funding and political will.
