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Posted: |
Jul 7, 2020 - 12:40 PM
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By: |
Solium
(Member)
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I know its a proof of concept, but considering the cost for such missions and the time between missions I wish the helicopter had a camera on board. The icing on the cake would be to get some aerial shots of Mars terrain. I wonder if this thing can fly in the thin Martian atmosphere?
The link below shows how it will deploy from underneath the Mars Rover Perseverance.
Story:
NASA's Perseverance rover will have a special passenger when it alights inside Mars' Jezero Crater in February 2021 — the first helicopter ever to fly on another world.
The 4-lb. (1.8 kilograms) chopper, named Ingenuity, will ride to Mars on Perseverance's belly, squeezing into a spot that offers roughly 24 inches (61 centimeters) of ground clearance, including the helicopter delivery system. Ingenuity itself is only 5 inches (12 cm) shorter than the clearance area.
"The deployment process begins with the release of a locking mechanism that keeps the helicopter in place," JPL officials wrote in the statement. "Then a cable-cutting pyrotechnic device fires, allowing a spring-loaded arm that holds the helicopter to begin rotating Ingenuity out of its horizontal position. Along the way, a small electric motor will pull the arm until it latches, bringing the helicopter body completely vertical with two of its spring-loaded landing legs deployed. Another pyrotechnic fires, releasing the other legs."
During this process, the deployment system will maintain electrical and data connections between Perseverance and Ingenuity until it's time to let the helicopter loose. The plan is to gently drop Ingenuity to the surface and to have Perseverance drive away, allowing Ingenuity to charge its batteries with a solar panel. Then, if all goes to plan, it will be time to do a few test flights.
Source:
https://www.space.com/nasa-mars-2020-mission-helicopter-ingenuity.html
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NASA powers up Ingenuity Mars helicopter in space for the 1st time.
"NASA's Mars helicopter, named Ingenuity, successfully powered up for the first time in space last week.
Ingenuity is the first helicopter designed to fly on another planet. It is currently traveling to the Red Planet aboard NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, which launched on July 30.
On Aug. 7, the helicopter's six lithium-ion batteries were powered up and charged for the first time in space. The 4-lb. (1.8 kilograms) Ingenuity, which is currently stowed beneath Perseverance's belly, receives its charge from the rover's power supply, according to a Thursday (Aug. 13) statement from NASA."
Source: https://www.space.com/nasa-powers-up-ingenuity-mars-helicopter.html
https://pngtoico.io
I wonder how big the blades are? The atmosphere of Mars is way thinner than of Earth.
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Posted: |
Feb 7, 2021 - 7:12 PM
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By: |
spiderich
(Member)
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2021/02/06/its-new-years-day-on-mars-and-the-red-planet-is-about-to-get-3-visitors-from-earth/
"After a seven-month journey from Earth three major missions will this arrive at Mars and go into orbit around the “red planet.” They are—in chronological order of when they’ll arrive:
Tuesday, February 9, 2021: Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) to Mars
EMM is carrying a probe called Hope, a Mars orbiter was developed by the UAE. After enduring a nerve-wracking 27-minute “dark half-hour” orbital insertion from 7:00 p.m. UAE time (10:00 a.m. EST/7:00 a.m. PST) it will enter orbit and begin studying the Martian atmosphere in late 2021.
It aims to build the first full picture of Mars’ climate throughout an entire Martian year, which has never been done before. It’s the UAE’s first space mission, and it mark’s the country’s 50th anniversary.
Wednesday, February 10, 2021: China’s Tianwen-1 mission to Mars
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) will beat NASA to Mars when Tianwen-1 enters orbit. Like NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, Tianwen-1 has a Mars rover, which will use a radar to search for water. However, that rover won’t descend to the Martian surface until May 2021.
If that’s successful then China will become the second country to successfully land a rover on Mars. Tianwen-1 means “questions to heaven.”
Thursday, February 18, 2021: NASA’s Mars 2020 mission to Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover is targeted to land in Jezero crater on Mars on February 18, 2021 at approximately 12:55 p.m. PST/3:55 p.m. EST. It will also last for at least one Martian year.
All three spacecraft will have to take critical manoeuvres to slow down as they approach Mars, from around 75,000 mph to just 11,000 mph. Go too fast? Miss Mars. Go too slow? Crash into Mars. It’s going to be tense."
Lots of action this month!
Richard G.
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