Bob Yirka is a research scientist at Phys.org.
The chief helicopter pilot on the project said that NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity had a sensor failure. Some of the challenges the tiny robot is experiencing in the harsh environment are described in a recent post on the NASA Science page.
The Perseverance rover and Ingenuity have been on the red planet. It has flown 28 times since that time. It was tasked with determining if a helicopter could be flown on Mars. Ingenuity has demonstrated that it can do more. Surveying the landscape around Perseverance is one of its current missions.
The harsh environment on Mars poses challenges for the helicopter and crew. Since the helicopter was not expected to last as long as it did, measures weren't taken to make sure it got enough power from the sun during the short Martian winter days. It has to stop at night. It could suffer damage to its electronics if it is exposed to temperatures as low as 80 degrees Celsius. The constant change in temperature extremes could cause damage. The helicopter, along with every other vehicle sent to Mars, has to contend with constant dust, which is more common in the winter.
Despite these conditions, ingenuity has held up. There is a sensor that has stopped functioning. It is necessary to orient the helicopter before it lifts off. The team that designed Ingenuity came up with a solution to the problem before the helicopter ever got to Mars. The helicopter is tricked into thinking it is getting the data from the inclinometer by using the patch. He expects Ingenuity to resume flight after the patch is installed.
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