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Mars helicopter Ingenuity has a dead sensor but its team aims to keep flying
SPace.com ^ | Josh Dinne

Posted on 06/09/2022 8:05:59 AM PDT by BenLurkin

As temperatures decreased over the past several weeks, operators at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California began putting Ingenuity to sleep every night as a way of protecting its systems from the harsh conditions. Even so, extreme fluctuations between day and night temperatures have caused stress on Ingenuity's components, and recent diagnostics revealed a failure in the vehicle's inclinometer, one of its navigational sensors, mission team members announced in a status update(opens in new tab) on Monday (June 6).

The inclinometer is responsible for supplying Ingenuity's flight software with gravimetric data prior to takeoff. This data allows Ingenuity to determine its position relative to the downward pull of Mars' gravity and enables calculations of the vehicle's roll and pitch prior to takeoff, Ingenuity chief pilot Håvard Grip of JPL explained in the status update. Without this initial data, the vehicle's software cannot determine proper orientation for Ingenuity during flight. But Grip and his colleagues think a redundancy in the helicopter's sensor array may allow them to keep Ingenuity flying.

Redundancy is the name of the game for NASA engineers, even when it comes to technology demonstrators with short life expectancies such as Ingenuity. Mission team members had envisioned a possible inclinometer failure under a number of various hypothetical scenarios, so they were ready with a software patch to address the issue well before the rover/copter duo's arrival on Mars last year.

(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy
KEYWORDS:
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Think I have one of those in my beloved clunker.

Keeps telling me to check the tire pressure when there' nothing wrong with the tire pressure.

1 posted on 06/09/2022 8:05:59 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

They could call MAA


2 posted on 06/09/2022 8:07:56 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: BenLurkin

Sensor not dead, sensor hacked by a Martian gang.


3 posted on 06/09/2022 8:11:54 AM PDT by George from New England
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To: butlerweave

4 posted on 06/09/2022 8:15:18 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: George from New England

Woman Blames Aliens For Multi-State Carjacking
https://patch.com/new-hampshire/nashua/amp/28210515/nh-woman-blames-aliens-for-multi-state-carjackings-report


5 posted on 06/09/2022 8:18:23 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

Considering it was only supposed to fly a few times. And here flying how many months later. Ingenuity was a great name pick


6 posted on 06/09/2022 8:19:44 AM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!you)
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To: BenLurkin

“they were ready with a software patch to address the issue well before the rover/copter duo’s arrival on Mars last year”

Working in aviation maintenance taught me many things. One of which is aircraft need backup systems and backup systems to the backup systems....regardless of what world the craft is in.

Sounds like JPL was ready for this possible event.

As far as your Tire Pressure Monitoring System problem.....I cured mine with an ODB II scanner and a app on my phone. I just went ahead and turned ‘em off completely.

I can usually tell when my tires need air.

SMH


7 posted on 06/09/2022 8:20:05 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave)
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To: markman46

I think they should have called it the Oversight.

As in, who forgot to put a video camera on it so we could see some decent overflight imagery of the Mars surface?

Okay, not really. I actually do think Ingenuity has been a great achievement and as an anonymous schlub on the internet I have no standing to nitpick...but it really would’ve been cool to see some video...


8 posted on 06/09/2022 8:28:09 AM PDT by Yardstick
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To: BenLurkin
Inclinometer failure is not good...


9 posted on 06/09/2022 8:28:17 AM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: V_TWIN

Thanks’s for the tip!


10 posted on 06/09/2022 8:29:17 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: Magnum44

Hey! When did you hide a camera in my house?


11 posted on 06/09/2022 8:29:51 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

Probably an 02 sensor, which would be irrelevant on Mars.

/s


12 posted on 06/09/2022 8:31:42 AM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: Magnum44

Just wait until he has Han Solo encased in Carbonite!!


13 posted on 06/09/2022 8:34:18 AM PDT by SaveFerris (The Lord, The Christ and The Messiah: Jesus Christ of Nazareth - http://www.BiblicalJesusChrist.Com/)
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To: BenLurkin; dfwgator

Just wait until she meets the guy with a baby sticking out of his belly!

I suppose Uber there is a Johnny Cab.


14 posted on 06/09/2022 8:37:37 AM PDT by SaveFerris (The Lord, The Christ and The Messiah: Jesus Christ of Nazareth - http://www.BiblicalJesusChrist.Com/)
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To: Yardstick

It has a camera and they’ve sent images back from the flights.


15 posted on 06/09/2022 8:37:43 AM PDT by miliantnutcase
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To: BenLurkin

No prob.

The odb allows you to access your vehicles computer and do a lot of things.

e.g. I was able to recalibrate my speedo to match the larger tires on my jeep.....which corrected the Trans shift points.

Pretty trick little unit actually.

As far as your particular vehicle....YouTube is your friend. 👍


16 posted on 06/09/2022 8:37:58 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave)
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To: BenLurkin

“As temperatures decreased over the past several weeks..”

So global warming??


17 posted on 06/09/2022 8:39:31 AM PDT by wyokostur
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To: BenLurkin

The sensor in you valve stem is broken


18 posted on 06/09/2022 8:48:53 AM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: miliantnutcase

Yes, but the images have a very low frame rate. They’re taken from its guidance camera and seem to be sequences of still images. The imagery is nothing like what you’d get from a camera recording at a typical video frame rate.


19 posted on 06/09/2022 9:01:12 AM PDT by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick

heck ya Realtime video would be great!!! but i will take what i can get. I just wish i had the brain power to design and be part of this stuff...


20 posted on 06/09/2022 9:09:52 AM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!you)
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