May 5, 2024

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Goes on Vacation

In this illustration, NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter stands on the Red Planets surface area as NASAs Perseverance rover (partly visible on the left) rolls away. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Postpones Flights Until August
Its now dust season and winter season in the area on Mars where NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is situated. This implies theres more dust in the air and less sunshine readily available to assist recharge Ingenuitys batteries. Dust levels are predicted to subside later on in July, so the team has decided to provide the helicopters batteries a break for a couple of weeks in order to develop their everyday state of charge back up. Depending upon weather conditions, Ingenuity is expected to be back in the air around the start of August.
Illustration of NASAs Ingenuity helicopter on Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
As recently discussed, the winter season on Mars is especially difficult on batteries. One big part of this is the much shorter days, suggesting less sunshine readily available for the solar cells utilized to recharge the batteries. The cold likewise requires the use of a battery draining pipes heater to protect electronic devices from the harmful impacts of cold cycling.

By NASA/JPL
July 15, 2022

Its now dust season and winter in the area on Mars where NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is situated. Dust levels are predicted to go away later on in July, so the team has chosen to provide the helicopters batteries a break for a couple of weeks in order to develop their daily state of charge back up. As just recently explained, the winter season on Mars is specifically difficult on batteries.