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The first color aerial photos of the surface of Mars


This is the first color image of the Martian surface taken by an airborne vehicle while in the air.  The Ingenuity Mars helicopter captured it with its color camera during its second successful flight test on April 22, 2021.
This is the first color image of the Martian surface taken by an airborne vehicle while in the air. The Ingenuity Mars helicopter captured it with its color camera during its second successful flight test on April 22, 2021.
Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech (Other)

Needless to say, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter has been delighting the world in recent weeks, and he has not finished his work yet. NASA has released the first color aerial photos of the surface of Mars taken by Ingenuity in your second successful test flight earlier this week. They are quite a sight, although I must admit that the first thing I think of when I see them is, “Oh look, the Perseverance rover passed through here.”

In recent days, NASA released three aerial photos taken by Ingenuity. These are not the first photos the rover takes. Previously, sent images of their shadows taken with its navigation camera facing downwards. And let’s not forget his attentive and proud surrogate father, the Perseverance rover, who takes great photos of the helicopter in action. However, this latest set of images is special because they are the first color photographs of Mars taken by an airborne vehicle while in the air.

Ingenuity’s first color aerial image of Mars

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At the time of this image, Ingenuity was 5.2 meters above the surface and was pitching (moving the camera’s field of view up) so that the helicopter could begin its 2-meter translation to the west.
Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech (Other)

This is the first color image taken by Ingenuity, which is equipped with a high-resolution color camera containing a 4208 x 3120 pixel sensor, on its test flight on April 22. According to NASA, Ingenuity was 5.2 meters (17 feet) above the surface. It was also moving its field of vision upward as it prepared to move sideways for its 51.9-second flight.

“The image, as well as the inset that shows a close-up of part of the tracks [del] Perseverance Mars rover and the characteristics of the surface of Mars, demonstrates the usefulness of exploring the Martian terrain from an aerial perspective ”, explained NASA in the description of the photo.

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