Posted on 06/06/2021 1:39:45 PM PDT by blam
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter acquired this image on May 22, 2021 using its black and white navigation camera. This camera is mounted in the helicopter’s fuselage and pointed directly downward to track the ground during flight. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
The next flight of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter will take place no earlier than this Sunday, June 6. Regardless of flight date, data will be returned to Earth over the subsequent three days.
The flight profile will send Ingenuity to a location about 350 feet (106 meters) south of its current location, where it will touch down at its new base of operations. This will mark the second time the helicopter will land at an airfield that it did not survey from the air during a previous flight.
Instead, the Ingenuity team is relying on imagery collected by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that suggests this new base of operations is relatively flat and has few surface obstructions.
The next flight of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter will take place no earlier than this Sunday, June 6. Regardless of flight date, data will be returned to Earth over the subsequent three days.......
Be sure and keep us updated on these great flights!
NASA’s Mars Helicopter Prepares For 7th Flight On Sunday
Liftoff of NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity will occur no later than today if all goes to plan, according to a NASA press release.
Ingenuity, a small robotic helicopter weighing no more than 4 pounds, is preparing for its seventh flight today. The mission is to fly Ingenuity 350 feet south from its current location on the floor of Jezero Crater.
“This will mark the second time the helicopter will land at an airfield that it did not survey from the air during a previous flight,” NASA wrote. “Instead, the Ingenuity team is relying on imagery collected by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that suggests this new base of operations is relatively flat and has few surface obstructions.”
On May 22, Ingenuity flew its sixth mission that did not go so well. The solar-powered helicopter experienced glitches that interrupted internal systems. There was no mention of what caused the glitches; the craft was able to land safely.
Ingenuity has marvelously performed five flights and beamed incredible images from Mars back to Earth.
NASA also has the Perseverance rover conducting land-based missions in the search for life.
In the last couple of months, the Red Planet has become a hotspot for the US and China, with China landing a rover of its own on the planet.
Sudden interest in Mars between both countries is because the planet allegedly has an abundance of rare metals that will power tomorrow’s economy.
Looks like to save costs they used 3-woods for landing gear.
It’s gyros tumbled on flight 6. (Actually inertial nav. based on the camera.) Hope it goes well this time.
Ingenuity is returning little data of scientific importance and this was as planned. Ingenuity is a “proof of concept” program for robotic flight on Mars in the future with bigger and better aircraft laden with much scientific instruments.
As of now Ingenuity has been a great success.
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