26. flight maneuver
Ingenuity’s 159-second flight began at 11:37 a.m. local Mars time on April 19, the one-year anniversary of its launch. First flight. Flying 26 feet (8 m) above ground level, the creation traveled 630 feet (192 m) to the southeast and took its first photograph. The helicopter then headed southwest and then northwest, taking pictures at planned locations along the way. After collecting 10 images in its flash memory, Ingenuity headed west 75m and landed. Total mileage: 1181 feet (360 meters). With Flight 26 completed, the helicopter clocked over 49 minutes and covered a distance of 3.9 miles (6.2 kilometers).
“To get the shot we needed, Ingenuity did a lot of maneuvers, but we believe there were complex maneuvers on flights 10, 12 and 13,” said Harvard Ingenuity, chief pilot of Ingenuity at JPL. “Our landing point has prepared us well to photograph the area of interest for the Perseverance Science team on Flight 27, near the Sittah mountains.”
That New operating area The dry delta of Jezero Crater marks a dramatic departure from the relatively flat plains Ingenuity has traveled since its first voyage. A few miles away, the fan-shaped delta formed as an ancient river spilled into the lake that once filled Jezero Crater. More than 130 feet (40 meters) above the crater and dotted with jagged cliffs, angular surfaces, bulging boulders, and pockets of sand, the delta promises many geological discoveries – and perhaps even evidence of microscopic life on Mars billions of years ago. .
Once it reaches the delta, Ingenuity’s first command may be to help determine which of the two dry river channels he must climb vigorously to reach the top of the delta. In addition to helping with route planning, the data provided by the helicopter will help the Perseverance team assess potential science targets. Intelligence may be required to photograph geological features so far away that the rover will reach or explore landing areas and locations on the surface where cached samples can be stored for analysis. Mars sample return a program.
More about creativity
The Ingenuity Mars helicopter was built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which also manages the project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia provided critical flight performance analysis and technical assistance during the development of Ingenuity. AeroVironment Inc. Qualcomm and SolAero also helped with the design and key components of the vehicle. Designed and manufactured by Lockheed Space Mars . helicopter delivery system.
At NASA Headquarters, Dave Lavery is the Executive Director of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Program.
More about perseverance
The main objective of the Persevere on Mars mission is astrobiologiIncluding looking for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and will be the first mission to collect and store Martian rock and regolite (cracked rock and dust).
NASA’s next mission, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), will send a spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance Mission is part of NASA’s moon-to-Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis A mission to the moon will help prepare for human exploration of the red planet.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, operated by the NASA-run California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, builds and operates the rover operations.
For more information on creativity:
mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter
–