With its tech demo complete, Ingenuity transitioned to a brand-new operations demonstration phase to explore how aerial explorers and future rovers can collaborate.
The successful 14th flight of NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took place quickly after 1:18 a.m. PDT on October 24, 2021, at Jezero Crater. As planned, the helicopter performed its first 2,700 rpm flight, showing that Ingenuity is capable of flying in the months and weeks ahead on Mars, throughout which seasonal modifications on the surface area will result in decreases in air density. The Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, is an innovation presentation to evaluate powered, controlled flight on another world for the first time.
NASA Mars Helicopter Ingenuity illustration. Credit: NASA/JPL
The successful 14th flight of NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took place shortly after 1:18 a.m. PDT on October 24, 2021, at Jezero Crater. As prepared, the helicopter executed its very first 2,700 rpm flight, proving that Ingenuity is capable of flying in the weeks and months ahead on Mars, during which seasonal modifications on the surface will result in reductions in air density.
NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter acquired this image utilizing its navigation video camera. This camera is installed in the helicopters fuselage and pointed directly downward to track the ground during flight. This image was acquired on October 24, 2021 (Sol 241 of the Perseverance rover objective) at the local mean solar time of 12:34:15. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, is an innovation presentation to check powered, managed flight on another world for the very first time. It rode to Mars on the Perseverance rover. When the rover reached an ideal “airfield” area, it launched Ingenuity to the surface area so it might perform a series of test flights over a 30-Martian-day speculative window.
The helicopter finished its innovation demonstration after 3 effective flights. For the very first flight on April 19, 2021, Ingenuity removed, climbed up to about 10 feet (3 meters) above the ground, hovered in the air briefly, finished a turn, and after that landed. It was a major turning point: the extremely first powered, managed flight in the very thin environment of Mars, and, in reality, the first such flight in any world beyond Earth. After that, the helicopter successfully carried out extra speculative flights of incrementally farther range and higher elevation.