Perseverance To Set Down On Mars This Week

[publiusr]

The frame rate was such that the shadow of the contra-rotating blades gave the impression that someone at JPL was playing Frogger

Life hiding?
https://nypost.com/2022/07/03/two-ways-life-on-mars-may-be-hiding-from-scientists/

 

[Non Sync]

Ingenuity completed its tenth flight on today, double what NASA engineers had originally planned. Today's flight brought the total mileage flown to over one mile. The latest flight lasted about 2 minutes, 45 seconds and visited ten distinct waypoints.
No indications when Ingenuity will make its final flight, but could keep going as long as it remains operational and doesn't interfere with scientific missions of the Perseverance rover.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Do they have a way to dock the helicopter and take it with them if the rover moves on?

 

[Non Sync]

Do they have a way to dock the helicopter and take it with them if the rover moves on?

Nope. It was lowered from the belly of the rover. Once it either crashes or malfunctions, that's it. But much like Voyager 1 & 2, Spirit and Opportunity, NASA has gotten its money worth.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Nope. It was lowered from the belly of the rover. Once it either crashes or malfunctions, that's it. But much like Voyager 1 & 2, Spirit and Opportunity, NASA has gotten its money worth.

Aaaaawwww that's a shame

 

[Non Sync]

It's already far exceeded expectations. The first attempts on flights 4 and 7 did not initially take off and flight 6 was pretty shaky with it rocking forwards and backwards 20 degrees.

All of the flights have been preprogrammed and with it making its own adjustments to account for wind and terrain with no one at the controls due to the delay in communications.

 

[XCV330]

since the Allan Hills 84001 announcement was made back in 96, scientists and space flight policy makers have been saying "Follow the water" when it came to Mars

https://scitechdaily.com/exomars-di...anyon-the-largest-canyon-in-the-solar-system/
they found the water.
time to go there

 

[Non Sync]

Ingenuity is still going strong. It's completed its 18th flight and has racked up a total of 33 minutes flight time.

It must have the same mojo as Spirit and Opportunity.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I love you Mars Helicopter.

Ain't humans awesome

 

[XCV330]

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/status/353/2021-samples-in-review/

nice little end of Earth-year review of the samples Perseverance has taken so far. I keep forgetting that it's not taking these for some minilab on board but for eventual collection and return to earth. Turning a rainy day into a water collection event, they have decided to call the first failed sample an atmosphere sample. Fair enough.

 

[Non Sync]

Last Friday (18 Feb) marked Perseverance's first year on Mars. It now holds the record for the furthest distance traveled in a day at 806 feet, beating Opportunity's record of 702 feet.

Ingenuity, the little helicopter that could, has far exceeded expectations as it has completed 19 flights, covering 2.4 miles (3.86km) with 34 and a half minutes of flight time.

 

[Non Sync]

Still amazed at Ingenuity. It completed its 24th flight back on 3APR2022 and has now covered 3.21 miles (5.17km).

 

[XCV330]

Still amazed at Ingenuity. It completed its 24th flight back on 3APR2022 and has now covered 3.21 miles (5.17km).

I suspect most rovers from no one will include a drone. It's so useful to get that bird's eye view of the terrain without waiting for one of the orbiting craft to pass over and get a perfect shot.

 

[Non Sync]

The lower angles that the drone can provide offers greater detail about the terrain as well as much more detail.

Still doing pretty good for a demonstrator project that they weren't sure if they would even get a single flight. Add Ingenuity to the NASA plaque along with the Voyager spacecrafts and Spirit/Opportunity rovers for working well beyond their planned lifespans.

 

[XCV330]

The lower angles that the drone can provide offers greater detail about the terrain as well as much more detail.

Still doing pretty good for a demonstrator project that they weren't sure if they would even get a single flight. Add Ingenuity to the NASA plaque along with the Voyager spacecrafts and Spirit/Opportunity rovers for working well beyond their planned lifespans.

I think JPL uses some variant on the Scotty Rule for end-of-life and repair time estimates

 

[Non Sync]

Ingenuity discovered debris from an alien spaceship on Mars!

Ok, it is the backshell from the Perseverance's landing capsule and parachute. The photo was taken during Ingenuity's 26th flight on 19APR2022 which was the one-year anniversary of its first flight.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Ok, it is the backshell from the Perseverance's landing capsule and parachute.

It's exactly where we left it, Jim! ::

I. LRO photograph from orbit of the landing site post-landing (large resolution here, original)

(Follow the “original” link)

 

[Non Sync]

Ingenuity's days may be numbered. Its navigational system uses an inclinometer that has stopped working, which is one of three systems required to fly. While NASA is attempting to rig it to fly using the other two systems, it will require a firmware patch and will reduce the accuracy of measuring Ingenuity's attitude.

NASA is also dealing with the approaching Martian winter. They're lowering the temperature when it turns on its heaters to help the battery hold its charge overnight, which could cause problems with onboard components.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Oh damn poor little helicopter. It served us well.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Off-the-shelf hardware failing on Mars could be a fascinating lesson in itself. Too bad there aren't people on Mars to look at it.