After nearly two years since its first flight on Mars in 2016, the Ingenuity chopper has set a new world altitude mark for helicopters.
Ingenuity Chopper Flight
On December 3, the little 4-pounds (1.8 kilograms) chopper flew for the 35th time and set a new altitude record of 14 meters.
The aerial excursion was 52 seconds long and took the helicopter a total of about 15 feet (5 m) to reposition itself.
After its first flight since November 22, 2018, Ingenuity has been grounded for several weeks due to a major software update that could extend the aircraft’s lifespan by up to three years.
How Will It Help?
The software will help NASA’s Ingenuity mission plan its way through the rocky Martian terrain by creating digital elevation maps as it flies past.
Initially designed as a technology demo that would only pursue five trips to Mars after hitchhiking a ride to the red world with the Perseverance Rover, which has been roaming the Martian landscape since February 2021.
Instead, the helicopter has proved itself time and time again and has been the rover’s aerial scout, scouting out areas deemed too dangerous for it and surveying potential future locations.
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Her new expanded role has also taken Ingenuity far beyond where she had expected to go when she first joined the company.
After having had some time to adjust to their new equipment, the little chopper was ready to fly again.
Next, ingenuity will fly up the steep terrain of an ancient river valley, where rivers once ran into Jezreel Crater more than three billion years ago.
Innovation’s surprising journey also paved the way for the development of future aerial vehicles.
Ingenium Class Helicopters
Ingenuity’s successes have led to NASA’s decision to take two Ingenium class helicopters on the Mars sample retrieval lander scheduled for later in this century.
These helicopters, which have four rotors instead of six, and a small manipulator arm with a two-finger gripper, will, if necessary, fly precious samples from a deposite to an ascending spacecraft for launch back to Earth
A more capable Mars science helicopter with the ability to carry up to five kilograms of scientific equipment is also in the early conceptual stages.
Mars Sample Collection
Meanwhile, the Perseverence rovers continue to collect interesting samples from Mars. On Dec. 2 and Dec. 6, the robotic explorers collected their first two samples of Martian soil, or sand and dust, from an exposed rock face.
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There are so many different types of material mixed into Martian soil, which means each sample contains an integrated history of the entire planet’s history.
Some of the samples from Perseverance will be dropped off later this year at a designated flat site. These samples will then be collected by future missions and brought back to Earth in the 2030’s.
The Perseverance Rover has just collected its first samples of broken rocks and dust using a special drilling tool.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Dust from broken rocks and soil could provide clues about the environmental conditions on Mars and its geological past. It could also help scientists understand how dust impacts equipment used by astronauts during future manned trips to Mars.
Lunar soil was found to be so hard that it could cut through the thin fabric of the astronauts’ space suits.
Perseverance rovers found organic matter “treasure” on Mars.
Perchlorates are chemicals found on Mars that could be harmful to humans if they’re inhaling them.
“We must be prepared for any eventuality,” says Erin Gibbons, an Earth and Planetary Sciences Ph.D. candidate at McGill University in Montreal who is part of the Perseverance Rover Science Investigation (PRISI) mission.
“We need to know which materials might harm astronauts, whether they’re human or robotic.“
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