After 63 days of radio silence, NASA received a response from the Ingenuity helicopter to Mars and said its 52nd flight, performed on April 26, was a success. The US space agency has now announced that it would not be able to report for a long time due to conditions on site. Ingenuity landed behind a hill in such a way that it was temporarily unable to establish radio communications with the Perseverance rover. A plan to re-establish contact had already been prepared and therefore worked successfully on 28 June. With this, the 52nd flight of the aircraft can now be prepared.
Announcement
More and more radio silence
The current positions of Perseverance and Ingenuity
(Image: NASA)
“63 days is a long time to wait for flight results”, NASA now admits it. But incoming data shows that all is well with the helicopter. If the remaining tests are positive, it could fly again in the coming weeks. Ingenuity relies on perseverance as a relay to communicate with the Earth. Only the rover can communicate with Earth via probes orbiting Mars and relay data or receive commands. Both devices are currently in much more difficult terrain than they were in the first months after landing. Josh Anderson of the Ingenuity team says longer radio silences from the helicopter are therefore to be expected.
Ingenuity had arrived on Mars with Perseverance in February 2021 and was only intended to demonstrate that powered aircraft could take off there. He did it impressively and now Ingenuity accompanies the rover on its mission. A year ago, NASA temporarily lost contact with the helicopter. Due to increased dust in the atmosphere, it hadn’t been able to harvest enough solar energy during the day. That’s why the time was delayed at night, that’s why he broadcast the radio at the wrong time. Before Flight No. 50 there was a break of days. NASA is already speculating that the mission could abort at any moment.
(mho)
