The time-out does not prevent future flights, but it did lead to a postponement of Ingenuity’s initial flight and the fourth flight, the team said.Īs members of the helicopter team target more flights, they may deploy a fix to the software “so we don’t have to play this dice game every time we try to fly,” said Bob Balaram, Ingenuity chief engineer at JPL.Īnother attempt of the fourth flight occurred Friday at 10:49 a.m. However, there is a known issue regarding a 15% chance that this timer could expire each time the helicopter attempts a flight. The helicopter’s computer includes a watchdog timer that expires and prevents flight if it senses any hindrances. Ingenuity was supposed to lift off Thursday, but data showed that the helicopter did not transition to flight mode, so the fourth flight was rescheduled for Friday. ![]() ![]() “Our team has been extremely happy and proud of the Ingenuity flights to date, and now it’s like Ingenuity is graduating from the tech demo phase to the new ops demo phase where we can show how a rotorcraft can be used and ensure products that only an aerial platform from an aerial dimension can give,” said MiMi Aung, Ingenuity project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, during the press conference. This will allow Ingenuity to demonstrate flight operations that could benefit the future exploration of Mars. The helicopter has exceeded expectations, which drove the decision to further its mission and test out capabilities. “Ingenuity is going to transition from a technology demonstration, where we prove the technical capabilities of the helicopter, to an operations demonstration where we’re going to gather information on the operational support capability of the helicopter while Perseverance focuses on its science mission,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, during a press conference Friday. This also means the Perseverance rover and its aerial sidekick get to spend more time together working on a joint mission. The little 4-pound chopper has achieved all of its objectives – and now it will chase after new ones. After four successful flights on Mars, the Ingenuity helicopter is graduating to a new phase of its mission and will fly for at least another month on the red planet.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |