Ingenuity’s ninth flight helps adjust mission objectives

The images captured by helicopter Ingenuity during its ninth flight on the surface of mars are helping NASA scientists adjust the scientific objectives of the rover’s mission Perseverance. With the new images, researchers will be able to trace the next steps in the search for signs of life on the Red Planet.

The images were published last Thursday (8) and show the surface of the crater of The lake, the landing site of the Perseverance rover, from an altitude of just 10 meters. The images allow scientists to see the terrain in greater detail, being able to verify aspects such as boulders and individual rocks.

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These details are far beyond what is possible to verify through probe images orbiting Mars, which is the data used to plan the rover’s route. The images, taken on July 5, show some features that are of great use to scientists hoping to find traces of fossil or present-day life in Jezero Crater.

These high mountain ranges are rock formations that scientists say used to serve as underground water channels in the past. As the presence of water increases the likelihood of life, researchers are looking to collect samples of this material, which could be brought to Earth on a future sample return mission.

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Perseverance project assistant scientist Ken Williford stated that the current plan is to visit a site known as the “Raised Ridges” to investigate them closely. According to Williford, the images from the helicopter are better in resolution than the orbital ones, which had been used so far. study these images can guarantee that any visitors arrive in really important places.

During its ninth flight, Ingenuity also flew over the Séítah dune field, through which Perseverance will soon pass. These dunes, however, have a depth of about one meter, which can pose a trap for the rover.

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Thanks to ingenuity’s images, soil operators will be able to better identify high-risk zones within and around the dune field. The latest images revealed that any bolder attempt at scientific exploration would be too risky for Perseverance, so teams will use the images to better plan their operations.

With information from the Space

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