The Ingenuity helicopter has efficiently flown for the third time on Mars in every week. This time, the helicopter logged a flight that was sooner, farther and bolder than the earlier ones, based on NASA.Ingenuity exceeded speeds and distances past what it proved able to doing throughout testing on Earth earlier than launching to Mars.The helicopter flew at 1:31 a.m. ET, or 12:33 p.m. native Mars time. Knowledge and imagery started streaming into the management room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, at 10:16 a.m. ET Sunday. The Perseverance rover captured a picture of the helicopter in flight and shared it shortly after.The helicopter climbed to the identical altitude from its second flight — about 16 toes” above the Martian floor — however this time it elevated its pace.Throughout earlier flights, Ingenuity was transferring at about 1.1 miles per hour. Now, the chopper has boosted that pace to 4.5 miles per hour.Ingenuity flew 164 toes north, virtually half the size of a soccer subject, earlier than returning to the touch down at its touchdown web site. All whole, the helicopter flew for about 80 seconds, the longest but, and a complete distance of about 330 toes.”Whereas that quantity could not appear to be so much, contemplate that we by no means moved laterally greater than about two-pencil lengths once we flight-tested within the vacuum chamber right here on Earth,” wrote Håvard Grip, Ingenuity Mars helicopter chief pilot at JPL, in an replace.”And whereas the 4 meters of lateral motion in Flight Two (2 meters out after which 2 meters again) was nice, offering a lot of terrific knowledge, it was nonetheless solely 4 meters. As such, Flight Three is an enormous step, one wherein Ingenuity will start to expertise freedom within the sky.”The Perseverance rover, which serves as a communication relay between the helicopter and its mission group on Earth, can also be performing as a little bit of a documentary filmmaker for Ingenuity.It captured a video of the copter’s third flight that can be capable of present many of the 80-second journey. The video is predicted to return to Earth within the coming days.”At this time’s flight was what we deliberate for, and but it was nothing wanting superb,” stated Dave Lavery, the mission’s program govt at NASA headquarters in Washington, in an announcement. “With this flight, we’re demonstrating essential capabilities that can allow the addition of an aerial dimension to future Mars missions.”The skies over MarsWhile Perseverance is ready to use its cameras to snap photographs and shoot video, Ingenuity is provided with cameras of its personal. The navigation digicam shoots black-and-white pictures that assist the helicopter’s pc observe its location throughout flight.A picture from this digicam exhibits the helicopter’s shadow on the floor of Mars throughout Sunday’s flight.Helicopter group members are thrilled with the pictures. The researchers had been solely capable of check a lot whereas flying the helicopter in a check chamber on Earth. The chopper wasn’t capable of transfer greater than 1.6 toes in any given route throughout testing, so that they had no manner of understanding if the navigation digicam would be capable of observe the bottom whereas transferring additional and sooner.”That is the primary time we have seen the algorithm for the digicam working over a protracted distance,” stated MiMi Aung, the helicopter’s mission supervisor at JPL, in an announcement. “You possibly can’t do that inside a check chamber.”The helicopter’s colour digicam exhibits the attitude of Ingenuity because it flies via the Martian ambiance.Throughout its second flight on April 22, Ingenuity autonomously flew for nearly 52 seconds, climbing 16 toes up via the Martian ambiance. After a short hover, it tilted at a 5-degree angle and moved sideways for 7 toes. Earlier than touching again down safely on the floor, Ingenuity hovered once more to permit its colour digicam to seize the view of what it appears wish to fly on Mars.Two new pictures from the second flight had been revealed on Sunday.The mission group believes these pictures show the helpful capabilities that one thing like Ingenuity may add to future missions, comparable to aerial scouting.Ingenuity, a know-how demonstration, nonetheless has one other week to conduct two extra flights earlier than the 31-day mission involves an finish.”Despite the fact that we’re conducting our flight assessments in a tenuous ambiance over 180 million miles (290 million kilometers) from Earth, we mannequin our methodical strategy to experimental flight on the Wright brothers’ strategy,” Grip wrote. “Our plan from Day One has been to organize like loopy, fly, analyze the info (like loopy), after which plan for an excellent bolder check within the subsequent flight.”The fourth flight will probably happen inside just a few days, based on the company.
The Ingenuity helicopter has efficiently flown for the third time on Mars in every week. This time, the helicopter logged a flight that was sooner, farther and bolder than the earlier ones, based on NASA.
Commercial
Ingenuity exceeded speeds and distances past what it proved able to doing throughout testing on Earth earlier than launching to Mars.
The helicopter flew at 1:31 a.m. ET, or 12:33 p.m. native Mars time. Knowledge and imagery started streaming into the management room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, at 10:16 a.m. ET Sunday. The Perseverance rover captured a picture of the helicopter in flight and shared it shortly after.
The helicopter climbed to the identical altitude from its second flight — about 16 toes” above the Martian floor — however this time it elevated its pace.
Throughout earlier flights, Ingenuity was transferring at about 1.1 miles per hour. Now, the chopper has boosted that pace to 4.5 miles per hour.
Ingenuity flew 164 toes north, virtually half the size of a soccer subject, earlier than returning to the touch down at its touchdown web site. All whole, the helicopter flew for about 80 seconds, the longest but, and a complete distance of about 330 toes.
“Whereas that quantity could not appear to be so much, contemplate that we by no means moved laterally greater than about two-pencil lengths once we flight-tested within the vacuum chamber right here on Earth,” wrote Håvard Grip, Ingenuity Mars helicopter chief pilot at JPL, in an update.
“And whereas the 4 meters of lateral motion in Flight Two (2 meters out after which 2 meters again) was nice, offering a lot of terrific knowledge, it was nonetheless solely 4 meters. As such, Flight Three is an enormous step, one wherein Ingenuity will start to expertise freedom within the sky.”
The Perseverance rover, which serves as a communication relay between the helicopter and its mission group on Earth, can also be performing as a little bit of a documentary filmmaker for Ingenuity.
It captured a video of the copter’s third flight that can be capable of present many of the 80-second journey. The video is predicted to return to Earth within the coming days.
“At this time’s flight was what we deliberate for, and but it was nothing wanting superb,” stated Dave Lavery, the mission’s program govt at NASA headquarters in Washington, in an announcement. “With this flight, we’re demonstrating essential capabilities that can allow the addition of an aerial dimension to future Mars missions.”
The skies over Mars
Whereas Perseverance is ready to use its cameras to snap photographs and shoot video, Ingenuity is provided with cameras of its personal. The navigation digicam shoots black-and-white pictures that assist the helicopter’s pc observe its location throughout flight.
A picture from this digicam exhibits the helicopter’s shadow on the floor of Mars throughout Sunday’s flight.
Helicopter group members are thrilled with the pictures. The researchers had been solely capable of check a lot whereas flying the helicopter in a check chamber on Earth. The chopper wasn’t capable of transfer greater than 1.6 toes in any given route throughout testing, so that they had no manner of understanding if the navigation digicam would be capable of observe the bottom whereas transferring additional and sooner.
“That is the primary time we have seen the algorithm for the digicam working over a protracted distance,” stated MiMi Aung, the helicopter’s mission supervisor at JPL, in an announcement. “You possibly can’t do that inside a check chamber.”
The helicopter’s colour digicam exhibits the attitude of Ingenuity because it flies via the Martian ambiance.
Throughout its second flight on April 22, Ingenuity autonomously flew for nearly 52 seconds, climbing 16 toes up via the Martian ambiance. After a short hover, it tilted at a 5-degree angle and moved sideways for 7 toes. Earlier than touching again down safely on the floor, Ingenuity hovered once more to permit its colour digicam to seize the view of what it appears wish to fly on Mars.
Two new pictures from the second flight had been revealed on Sunday.
The mission group believes these pictures show the helpful capabilities that one thing like Ingenuity may add to future missions, comparable to aerial scouting.
Ingenuity, a know-how demonstration, nonetheless has one other week to conduct two extra flights earlier than the 31-day mission involves an finish.
“Despite the fact that we’re conducting our flight assessments in a tenuous ambiance over 180 million miles (290 million kilometers) from Earth, we mannequin our methodical strategy to experimental flight on the Wright brothers’ strategy,” Grip wrote. “Our plan from Day One has been to organize like loopy, fly, analyze the info (like loopy), after which plan for an excellent bolder check within the subsequent flight.”
The fourth flight will probably happen inside just a few days, based on the company.
