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NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Needs a Flight Control Software Update Before First Flight on Mars
https://scitechdaily.com ^ | APRIL 13, 2021 | By NASA

Posted on 04/13/2021 11:28:45 AM PDT by Red Badger

click here to read article


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To: Red Badger

thanks


21 posted on 04/13/2021 11:57:12 AM PDT by Repeal The 17th (Get out of the matrix and get a real life.)
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To: Red Badger

Through Huawei networking equipment? What could go wrong?


22 posted on 04/13/2021 12:00:09 PM PDT by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: Red Badger

Through Huawei networking equipment? What could go wrong?


23 posted on 04/13/2021 12:00:09 PM PDT by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: Steely Tom

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!


24 posted on 04/13/2021 12:01:57 PM PDT by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: Steely Tom

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


25 posted on 04/13/2021 12:41:17 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: SgtHooper

“Not enuff aaare!”

Agree, they should have considered the atmospheric conditions when they designed it.


26 posted on 04/13/2021 12:41:58 PM PDT by BobL (TheDonald.win is now Patriots.win)
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To: Red Badger

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.


27 posted on 04/13/2021 12:50:50 PM PDT by Tallguy
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To: Steely Tom
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).

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.

28 posted on 04/13/2021 12:51:41 PM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: Secret Agent Man
down here that would be impressive, 2400 rpm

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.

29 posted on 04/13/2021 12:56:02 PM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: Tallguy

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.


30 posted on 04/13/2021 12:57:03 PM PDT by discostu (Like a dog being shown a card trick )
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To: Ol' Dan Tucker

yeah ive seen the nitro-powered ones in action and they spin pretty fast.


31 posted on 04/13/2021 1:03:12 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
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To: discostu

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.


32 posted on 04/13/2021 1:10:58 PM PDT by Tallguy
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To: Red Badger

NASA has got to stop using Windows 10.


33 posted on 04/13/2021 1:17:09 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (I need more money. )
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To: Tallguy

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.


34 posted on 04/13/2021 1:17:12 PM PDT by discostu (Like a dog being shown a card trick )
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To: Steely Tom

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.


35 posted on 04/13/2021 1:30:33 PM PDT by Yardstick
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To: bigbob

You mean the Wicked Witch of the West?😳


36 posted on 04/13/2021 1:54:08 PM PDT by BiteYourSelf ( Earth first we'll strip mine the other planets later.)
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To: Truth29

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).


37 posted on 04/13/2021 2:30:32 PM PDT by tennmountainman ( Liberals Are Baby Killers.)
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To: montag813

Hilarity of the century is someone hacks it and flies it for them.


38 posted on 04/13/2021 3:29:35 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: Ol' Dan Tucker

the context was 2400 rpm with those particular blades


39 posted on 04/13/2021 3:48:43 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Secret Agent Man
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.

40 posted on 04/13/2021 4:10:43 PM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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