Topography Between Mars Helicopter and Rover for Flight 17: In this annotated image, Ingenuitys flight path is portrayed in yellow. Perseverances place is indicated in the upper left, with the blue line illustrating its line of sight to the helicopters Flight 17 landing spot. After the helicopter executed the planned 614-foot (187-meter) traverse to the northeast, the radio communications connect between Ingenuity and the Perseverance Mars rover was interfered with throughout the last descent phase of the flight. Orientation of Mars Helicopter Base Station Antenna for Flight 17: This annotated graphic illustrates the orientation of NASAs Perseverance Mars rover during the 17th flight of the companys Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on Dec. 5, 2021. Ingenuity was created to deal with these circumstances by immediately powering down after a flight and waiting for further guidelines on subsequent sols, which we expect to be the case following Flight 17.
Topography Between Mars Helicopter and Rover for Flight 17: In this annotated image, Ingenuitys flight path is illustrated in yellow. Determinations place is indicated in the upper left, with the blue line portraying its line of sight to the helicopters Flight 17 landing area.
Ingenuity flew for the 17th time at Mars on Sunday, December 5. After the helicopter executed the planned 614-foot (187-meter) traverse to the northeast, the radio communications connect between Ingenuity and the Perseverance Mars rover was disrupted during the final descent stage of the flight. Approximately 15 minutes later on, Perseverance received a number of packets of extra Ingenuity telemetry showing that the flight electronics and battery were healthy.
All readily available telemetry during and after the flight suggests that the activity was a success which the loss of link was because of a difficult radio configuration in between Perseverance and Ingenuity during landing. Prior to planning our next flight, we require transfer the missing information from Flight 17 from helicopter to rover, and then to Earth, so we can verify vehicle health.
Based on the telemetry we have, the automobile carried out nominally throughout the board during its 117-second flight 33 feet (10 meters) above the surface of Mars. The telemetry eliminated throughout the final third of our descent, roughly 10 feet (3 meters) off the surface. Taking a look at how radio links act in relation to nearby surface area features can help describe why the loss of link occurred near landing.
Radio Links
A radios signal strength depends significantly on how clear the path, or line-of-sight (LOS), is in between the transmitter and receiver antennas. That path can be obstructed by the ground itself if the helicopter lands in an anxiety or on the other side of a hill, or it can be blocked by elements of the rovers structure if the helicopter takes place to be on the rovers port (left) or stern (back) side. In this case not only was Ingenuity challenged with communicating throughout the rovers structure and Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) (see red LOS vector in graphic of rover), however it was likewise entrusted with flying to a landing site which positioned a 13-foot (4 meter) hill called “Bras” (called after a commune in France). in the LOS in between the two antennas. With a cruise altitude of 33-feet (10 meters), Bras provided little obstruction to our radio link during the bulk of the flight. However as Ingenuity began to descend, the line of sight between the rover and helicopter antennas began to end up being obstructed/shadowed by Bras.
Orientation of Mars Helicopter Base Station Antenna for Flight 17: This annotated graphic depicts the orientation of NASAs Perseverance Mars rover throughout the 17th flight of the agencys Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on Dec. 5, 2021. The red line depicts how the back of the rover provided a barrier to interactions throughout the final moments of Flight 17.
When we initially prepared Flight 17, our companied believe that the rover was going to be parked in a particular place and oriented in a certain direction. Nevertheless, Perseverances strategies change everyday to make the most of total science return. By the time Flight 17 was all set for execution, Perseverance had actually driven to a brand-new area and parked along a challenging heading for radio interactions (the red LOS in Figure 2).
Since the start of the helicopters operations presentation, we have accepted the capacity for radio loss on landing due to the nature of our more difficult flights. Ingenuity was developed to handle these situations by instantly powering down after a flight and awaiting further guidelines on subsequent sols, which we anticipate to be the case following Flight 17. These challenges belong to the lessons found out in incorporating aerial exploration activities within the intricacy of daily rover operations.
Flight Assessment
Our company believe the flight was a success because nothing in what we see from the offered helicopter recommends otherwise. Telemetry is nominal leading right as much as the moment that the radio link halted.
Even more telling are the information packets received 15 minutes after the time landing need to have occurred. In other words, the battery was being charged by the helicopters solar variety.
Next Steps
The first chance to downlink the missing data from Flight 17 will be no earlier than Wednesday, after which the team will finalize its health evaluation. This flight was designed to continue our journey back to the “Octavia E. Butler” landing site by flying midway throughout “South Séíitah.” We are intending on Flight 18 to happen in the next 2 weeks, which would bring Ingenuity another ~ 200 meters northeast, just shy of the northern edge of S. Séítah.
As Ingenuity endeavors farther and dares mightier flights in the future, we expect to once again encounter loss of radio link on landing, comparable to what happened on Sunday. We will do all that we can in planning to avoid them (when possible), however short-lived loss of radio link is a natural part of helicopter operations at the Red Planet.
Composed by Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity Team Lead at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.