Posted on 04/13/2021 11:28:45 AM PDT by Red Badger
The Ingenuity team has identified a software solution for the command sequence issue identified on Sol 49 (April 9) during a planned high-speed spin-up test of the helicopter’s rotors. Over the weekend, the team considered and tested multiple potential solutions to this issue, concluding that minor modification and reinstallation of Ingenuity’s flight control software is the most robust path forward. This software update will modify the process by which the two flight controllers boot up, allowing the hardware and software to safely transition to the flight state. Modifications to the flight software are being independently reviewed and validated today and tomorrow in testbeds at JPL.
Ingenuity Begins to Spin Its Blades NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter does a slow spin test of its blades, on April 8, 2021, the 48th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. This image was captured by the Navigation Cameras on NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
================================================================
While the development of the new software change is straightforward, the process of validating it and completing its uplink to Ingenuity will take some time. A detailed timeline for rescheduling the high-speed spin-up test and first flight is still in process. The process of updating Ingenuity’s flight control software will follow established processes for validation with careful and deliberate steps to move the new software through the rover to the base station and then to the helicopter. Intermediate milestones include:
Diagnose the issue and develop potential solutions Develop/validate and upload software Load flight software onto flight controllers Boot Ingenuity on new flight software Once we have passed these milestones, we will prepare Ingenuity for its first flight, which will take several sols, or Mars days. Our best estimate of a targeted flight date is fluid right now, but we are working toward achieving these milestones and will set a flight date next week. We are confident in the team’s ability to work through this challenge and prepare for Ingenuity’s historic first controlled powered flight on another planet.
Mastcam-Z Ingenuity Close-up NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter is seen here in a close-up taken by Mastcam-Z, a pair of zoomable cameras aboard the Perseverance rover. This image was taken on April 5, the 45th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
=====================================================================
Ingenuity continues to be healthy on the surface on Mars. Critical functions such as power, communications, and thermal control are stable. It is not unexpected for a technology demonstration like this to encounter challenges that need to be worked in real time. The high-risk, high-reward approach we have taken to the first powered, controlled flight on another planet allows us to push the performance envelope in ways we could not with a mission designed to last for years such as Perseverance. In the meantime, while the Ingenuity team does its work, Perseverance will continue to do science with its suite of instruments and is gearing up for a test of the MOXIE technology demonstration.
thanks
Through Huawei networking equipment? What could go wrong?
Through Huawei networking equipment? What could go wrong?
They had a watchdog timeout that rebooted the drone; it happened when they tried to spin the rotors up to 2400 rpm (which I have to admit is pretty fast for blades that big).
Not enuff aaare!
down here that would be impressive, 2400 rpm
thing would be shooting skyward in no time
but its such a thin atmosphere there
like swimming in air
“Not enuff aaare!”
Agree, they should have considered the atmospheric conditions when they designed it.
When you think about it... getting all the software bugs worked out before a critical launch date could become impossible. So re-programming during the mission has to be an option. Cuz you never know.
The rotor span is ~4 feet. (1.2m)
The larger RC helicopters here on earth have rotors that span about the same and spin about the same speed.
The larger RC helicopters here on earth spin about the same speed.
They have blades that are narrower in chord, but that's because of the thicker atmosphere.
Ingenuity's blades are shaped more like propellers than typical helicopter rotor blades because they would get more 'bite' in the Mars atmosphere.
It’s actually pretty standard. They work on the software all the way through the flight to Mars. There’s no reason to have the software all done before launch, that just loses months of dev time. Most of these things don’t get the mission software until it’s needed, landing sequence gets transmitted as it’s getting there, rover movement software won’t get loaded until after it lands. And then there’s always tweaks. Anything they look at and think “that could do better” they work it.
yeah ive seen the nitro-powered ones in action and they spin pretty fast.
The launch window to Mars is a pretty firm date. Your software development can be more flexible to ease the strain on the mission planners.
NASA has got to stop using Windows 10.
Yup. I got a friend who worked on one of the missions, not the one that augured in, and he told me about it. At launch time they basically only have enough software to get software updates, cause that’s all it’s gonna need for a few months.
I wonder if they equipped it with some way to get itself upright if it does tip over. I guess the rover could give it an assist if it’s not too far away.
You mean the Wicked Witch of the West?😳
Yep. NASA has been moving flight dates like crazy.
NASA would have been better served by just saying Flight date
would be scheduled after successful Pre-Flight test(Which wasn’t successful).
Hilarity of the century is someone hacks it and flies it for them.
the context was 2400 rpm with those particular blades
Because the rotors have adjustable pitch like RC and full-size choppers, this bird would only climb as fast, even at 2400 rpm, as the pitch would dictate.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.