NASA's plucky Mars helicopter is still going strong.
The 31st flight of the Ingenuity aircraft took place on the red planet on September 6.
The helicopter, which flew into the record books in April 2021 when it became the first aircraft to perform a powered, controlled flight on another planet, traveled for 319 feet. The flight is yet to be commented on.
We had liftoff!#MarsHelicopter completed a successful Flight 31 on September 6. Ingenuity flew 318 ft (97 m) west towards the Jezero river delta, in 55.6 seconds.
⬆️ Max Altitude: 33 ft (10 m)
➡️ Distance: 319 ft (97.2 m)
More: https://t.co/pJGZuwtbPy pic.twitter.com/OInuN4KqFj
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) September 7, 2022
The mission team grounded Ingenuity on June 11 due to an increase in dust storms and cold weather.
Ingenuity was tested in a short flight on August 20. Normal operations will resume this week after the successful hop, with Ingenuity covering a decent distance. This was the shortest flight so far when it traveled 2,326 meters over the martian surface.
The Perseverance rover is continuing its mission to collect samples of martian soil for return to Earth so scientists can study the material for evidence of ancient life.
JPL began using Ingenuity to assist the Perseverance rover on its explorations of Jezero Crater after completing numerous flight tests in which the mission team was able to prove the viability of flying such an aircraft on a planet with an atmosphere much thinner than Earth's.
The helicopter has been helping by using its onboard camera to image areas of interest so that the team can see if it's worth sending. The data is being used to create the safest routes for Perseverance to take.
NASA plans to build more advanced versions of Ingenuity for future planetary missions because it has performed so well.
There is a recommended video.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
