On January 27, the 41st successful flight of the Ingenuity helicopter took place in the atmosphere of Mars. The flight lasted 109 seconds, during which it overcame 183 meters. It was a short reconnaissance flight.
NASA JPL shared an animated image of the landing part of the flight. The black-and-white images from the navigation camera are not very impressive. Therefore, during the 41st flight, the helicopter received images of the Martian landscape from the color onboard camera. The raw images show undulating dunes and rocky ridges.
Cheers to a successful Flight 41 ????
Ingenuity took to the Martian skies to provide an aerial view of the area for the @NASAPersevere team. The #MarsHelicopter’s out-and-back flight covered 600 feet (183 meters) in 109 seconds. https://t.co/7DMHj9LkNX pic.twitter.com/UuosDQMCup— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) January 31, 2023
Ingenuity’s unique vantage point gives the rover team a better idea of what may be ahead on the Perseverance rover’s journey. Photos can help them avoid rough terrain or choose locations for their next research. But where scientists see opportunities, we, mere observers, can enjoy the unearthly beauty of the landscape of Mars. This is a completely different angle, which is much higher than the cameras of the rovers at the surface level.
Expansion of Ingenuity flights on Mars
Ingenuity makes a strong case for helicopters in other worlds. NASA and the European Space Agency are already planning to send two helicopters during the upcoming Mars Sample Return mission, which aims to return Martian samples with rocks and soil to Earth.
The brave helicopter was planned as a high-risk demonstration of the technology of flying heavier-than-air spacecraft in the atmosphere of another planet. But the mission, which was planned for only five flights, as a result stretched over 40 successful takeoffs and landings, during which a number of records were even set.
Earlier we reported on how Ingenuity overcame 140 m during the 39th flight.
According to NASA
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