On Jan. 18, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter executed its 72nd flight at the Red Planet. The flight was designed as a quick pop-up vertical flight to check out the helicopter’s systems, following an unplanned early landing during its previous flight. Data Ingenuity sent to the Perseverance rover (which acts as a relay between the helicopter and Earth) during the flight indicates it successfully climbed to its assigned maximum altitude of 40 feet (12 meters). During its planned descent, communications between the helicopter and rover terminated early, prior to touchdown. The Ingenuity team is analyzing available data and considering next steps to reestablish communications with the helicopter.
I hope this doesn’t mean Ginny’s end :(
Hopefully not…
We did get roughly 190 NavCam images from flight 70 via the rover in the day or so leading up to flight 72. So we know that there were good comms between the two craft in the days before 72 flight. If it landed somewhere other than it took off from there could be comms issues. In past flights they have lost contact during landing. So they may be able to quickly re-establish comms. However JPL have not published the raw data to show exactly where flight 71 landed. Flight 71 appears to have been a very hard landing, all we know it was an emergency landing. But there is strong evidence in the post flight images that the ground under the helicopter had been contacted by parts of the helicopter. (see previous posts here)
She’s stout , and she has the worlds best Engineers, Scientists, and Support Staff. Still, fingers crossed, and hope for the best.