Specialists of the Ingenuity mission support group reported on the successful completion of the new flight. It has already become the twenty-second for a rotorcraft.
Over the weekend, the #MarsHelicopter took its 22nd flight!???? The trip lasted 101.4 seconds and Ingenuity got up to 10 meters in the air. The team is planning another flight perhaps as early as later this week.????
See raw images from this flight: https://t.co/rDGwXMRo6S pic.twitter.com/uPPQmZy5ir
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) March 22, 2022
The flight was on March 20 and lasted a total of 101.4 seconds. The maximum height reached was 10 meters. Ingenuity flew in a north-westerly direction towards its new operating area. According to mission specialists, they plan to carry out another flight before the end of this week.
The goal of Ingenuity is a region that represents the remains of an ancient river delta. The area, several kilometers wide, is filled with jagged rocks, rock fragments, boulders and sand deposits. On the one hand, they pose a significant threat to both Ingenuity and Perseverance. On the other hand, in these rich geological deposits may be hidden the long-awaited evidence, which can prove that some kind of life existed on Mars in the past.
After Ingenuity reaches the delta, it should conduct aerial reconnaissance of two dried-up river channels. After that, the specialists will choose which of them will investigate Perseverance. Hereafter, the drone will continue to accompany the rover. Its photos will be used to plan the route of the Mars rover vehicle. Perhaps Ingenuity will also be involved in shooting objects located outside the rover’s range.
