Ingenuity Performs Its Longest and Fastest Flight to Date on Mars …

On April 18, 2022, NASAs Ingenuity Mars helicopter made a record-breaking 25th flight. The rotorcraft covered 704 m (2,310 feet) at a max speed of 5.5 m/sec (12 mph).

For our record-breaking flight, Ingenuitys downward-looking navigation camera provided us with a breathtaking sense of what it would feel like gliding 10 m (33 feet) above the surface of Mars at 5.5 m/sec, said Ingenuity team leader Dr. Teddy Tzanetos, a researcher at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The first frame of the video clip begins about one second into Ingenuitys 25th flight.

After reaching an altitude of 10 m, the helicopter heads southwest, accelerating to its maximum speed in less than three seconds.

The rotorcraft first flies over a group of sand ripples then, about halfway through the video, several rock fields.

Finally, relatively flat and featureless terrain appears below, providing a good landing spot.

The video of the 161.3-second flight was speeded up approximately five times, reducing it to less than 35 seconds.

NASAs Perseverance rover acquired this image on April 22, 2021, using its left Mastcam-Z camera. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS.

Ingenuitys navigation camera has been programmed to deactivate whenever the rotorcraft is within 1 m (3 feet) of the surface.

This helps ensure any dust kicked up during takeoff and landing wont interfere with the navigation system as it tracks features on the ground.

Ingenuitys flights are autonomous, explained Ingenuitys pilots at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

We plan them and send commands to NASAs Perseverance rover, which then relays those commands to the helicopter.

During a flight, onboard sensors the navigation camera, an inertial measurement unit, and a laser range finder provide real-time data to Ingenuitys navigation processor and main flight computer, which guide the helicopter in flight.

This enables Ingenuity to react to the landscape while carrying out its commands.

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This article is based on text provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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Ingenuity Performs Its Longest and Fastest Flight to Date on Mars ...