NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter reconnects with mission controllers after 63 days of blackout

NASA‘s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has finally made contact after 63 days of radio silence, re-stablishing communication with mission controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. The wait ended with a sigh of relief as the data received indicated that the pioneering aircraft was in excellent condition on the distant red planet.

What happened
Ingenuity had originally been planned for five test flights to showcase its capabilities. However, it surpassed all expectations, completing a record-breaking 52 flights on Mars. Unfortunately, during its 52nd flight, mission controllers lost touch as it descended toward the surface. This temporary communication blackout was expected due to a hill obstructing signals between the helicopter’s landing location and the Perseverance rover, which serves as a vital communication link.

Team has plans for blackout
The team had already prepared for such an event, devising re-contact plans for the moment the rover would be back in range. This strategy worked and on June 28, communication was restored as perseverance crested the hill and regained sight of Ingenuity.

Flight 52 had a critical mission: Repositioning the helicopter and capturing images of the Martian surface for the rover’s science team. The challenges of exploring Jezero Crater, with its rugged terrain, made communication dropouts more likely, as acknowledged by JPL’s Josh Anderson, the Ingenuity team lead.

The promising news is that Ingenuity seems to be in excellent health based on the new flight data. Pending further checks, the resilient helicopter may take flight again in the next few weeks. The ambitious goal for Flight 53 is to target an interim airfield to the west, setting the stage for another westward flight to explore a captivating rocky outcrop of interest to the Perseverance team.

FacebookTwitterLinkedin

end of article

NASA‘s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has finally made contact after 63 days of radio silence, re-stablishing communication with mission controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. The wait ended with a sigh of relief as the data received indicated that the pioneering aircraft was in excellent condition on the distant red planet.

What happened
Ingenuity had originally been planned for five test flights to showcase its capabilities. However, it surpassed all expectations, completing a record-breaking 52 flights on Mars. Unfortunately, during its 52nd flight, mission controllers lost touch as it descended toward the surface. This temporary communication blackout was expected due to a hill obstructing signals between the helicopter’s landing location and the Perseverance rover, which serves as a vital communication link.

Team has plans for blackout
The team had already prepared for such an event, devising re-contact plans for the moment the rover would be back in range. This strategy worked and on June 28, communication was restored as perseverance crested the hill and regained sight of Ingenuity.

Flight 52 had a critical mission: Repositioning the helicopter and capturing images of the Martian surface for the rover’s science team. The challenges of exploring Jezero Crater, with its rugged terrain, made communication dropouts more likely, as acknowledged by JPL’s Josh Anderson, the Ingenuity team lead.

The promising news is that Ingenuity seems to be in excellent health based on the new flight data. Pending further checks, the resilient helicopter may take flight again in the next few weeks. The ambitious goal for Flight 53 is to target an interim airfield to the west, setting the stage for another westward flight to explore a captivating rocky outcrop of interest to the Perseverance team.

FacebookTwitterLinkedin

end of article