Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Completes Back-to-Back Flights in Preparation for Solar Conjunction
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter has successfully completed two back-to-back flights in preparation for an upcoming solar conjunction period. Solar conjunction occurs when the Sun passes directly between Earth and Mars, disrupting communications between the two planets. During this time, Ingenuity will be unable to receive commands from Earth and will have to operate autonomously.
The two flights, which took place on November 2 and 3, were designed to position Ingenuity in a safe location and to test its autonomous capabilities. During the first flight, Ingenuity flew for 48 seconds and covered a distance of 23 feet. The second flight was even shorter, lasting only 30 seconds and covering a distance of 16 feet.
These flights were a success, and we are pleased with Ingenuity's performance," said Bob Balaram, project manager for Ingenuity at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "The helicopter is now in a good position to weather the solar conjunction, and we are confident that it will be able to operate autonomously during this time.
Ingenuity has been flying on Mars since April 2021, and it has made 66 flights to date. The helicopter has been a valuable asset to the Perseverance rover mission, providing aerial reconnaissance and scouting for potential science targets.
The solar conjunction period is expected to last from November 15 to December 3. During this time, Ingenuity will be unable to receive any commands from Earth. However, the helicopter will continue to collect data and transmit it back to Earth once communications are restored.
We are looking forward to seeing what Ingenuity can do during this autonomous period, said Balaram. "We are confident that it will continue to be a valuable asset to the Perseverance mission.