Mastodawn

65dBnoise Jan 25, 2024

The end of #Ingenuity's mission on Mars.

As I have been posting lately, images and events around #Flight71 and #Flight72 indicated that something had gone wrong with the #MarsHelicopter (see next post for references)

#NASA's new status update confirms that #Flight72 was the last one for the mighty little helicopter.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/after-three-years-on-mars-nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-mission-ends

Undistorted image from the status update
Sol 1036, RMC 72.0001
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

#Mars2020 #Solarocks #Space

After Three Years on Mars, NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends

NASA has proven powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds, just as the Wright brothers proved it was possible on Earth.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

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Tom Montgomery Jan 25, 2024

@65dBnoise
Sad news, indeed, and a bit of a shock after all this time when the little helicopter defied all predictions and seemed like it would go on forever!

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65dBnoise

@tom30519
Maybe adding a HELI_NAV camera next to the RTE (or more to other sides), centered ~40° down from the horizon could help mitigate the problem of having no visual cues to work with. The camera's perspective could add a lot of context and visual cues. Of course the RTE camera is already there, but it is very slow in acquiring images as needed for navigation. Such a camera could also offer a visual horizon which could be used as a backup for faulty inclinometers.