Ingenuity Helicopter As Seen By Mastcam-Z: NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was captured right here by the Perseverance rover’s Mastcam-Z on April 16, not lengthy after the rotorcraft’s fiftieth flight. The helicopter would quickly fall silent for 63 days due hilly topography that interrupted communications between the rover and plane. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS. Obtain picture ›
The intrepid rotorcraft could head skyward once more inside the subsequent couple of weeks.
The 52nd flight of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is now within the official mission logbook as successful. The flight came about again on April 26, however mission controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California misplaced contact with the helicopter because it descended towards the floor for touchdown.
The Ingenuity workforce anticipated the communications dropout as a result of a hill stood between the helicopter’s touchdown location and the Perseverance rover’s place, blocking communication between the 2. The rover acts as a radio relay between the helicopter and mission controllers at JPL. In anticipation of this lack of communications, the Ingenuity workforce had already developed re-contact plans for when the rover would drive again inside vary. Contact was re-established June 28 when Perseverance crested the hill and will see Ingenuity once more.
The objective of Flight 52, a 1,191-foot (363-meter) and 139-second-long flight, was to reposition the helicopter and take pictures of the Martian floor for the rover’s science workforce.
“The portion of Jezero Crater the rover and helicopter are at the moment exploring has a number of rugged terrain, which makes communications dropouts extra probably,” stated JPL’s Josh Anderson, the Ingenuity workforce lead. “The workforce’s objective is to maintain Ingenuity forward of Perseverance, which sometimes entails quickly pushing past communication limits. We’re excited to be again in communications vary with Ingenuity and obtain affirmation of Flight 52.”
Sixty-three days is a very long time to attend for the outcomes of a flight, however the knowledge coming in signifies all is nicely with the primary plane on one other world. If the rest of Ingenuity’s well being checks are equally rosy, the helicopter could fly once more inside the subsequent couple of weeks.
The goal for Flight 53 is an interim airfield to the west, from which the workforce plans to carry out one other westward flight to a brand new base of operations close to a rocky outcrop the Perseverance workforce is taken with exploring.
Extra About Ingenuity
The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was constructed by JPL, which additionally manages the venture for NASA Headquarters. It’s supported by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. NASA’s Ames Analysis Heart in California’s Silicon Valley and NASA’s Langley Analysis Heart in Hampton, Virginia, offered vital flight efficiency evaluation and technical help throughout Ingenuity’s improvement. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero additionally offered design help and main car elements. Lockheed House designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Supply System.
At NASA Headquarters, Dave Lavery is this system govt for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.
Information Media Contacts
DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov
Alana Johnson/ Karen Fox
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1501 / 301-286-6284
alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov
