![]() “Ingenuity’s success has led to NASA’s decision to take two Ingenuity class helicopters on the Mars Sample Retrieval Lander scheduled for later in this decade,” wrote Bob Balaram, Ingenuity chief engineer emeritus, in a NASA blog update. Ingenuity’s surprising journey has also paved the way for future aerial exploration vehicles. Next, Ingenuity will begin flying up the steep terrain of the ancient river delta, where water once flowed into Jezero crater more than 3 billion years ago. ![]() Now that the team has had time to assess how Ingenuity is adjusting to its upgrades, the little chopper is ready to lift off for regular flights once more. This expanded role has also sent Ingenuity flying over and landing on much more challenging terrain than ever anticipated by her team. NASA's Viking 1 may have landed at the site of an ancient Martian megatsunami The same calibration was then used for the entire scene. Color data for these patches were adjusted until the patches were an appropriate color of gray. To assist in balancing the colors, a second picture was taken of z test chart mounted on the rear of the spacecraft. The scene was scanned three times by the spacecraft's camera number 2, through a different color filter each time. The sky has a reddish cast, probably due to scattering and reflection from reddish sediment suspended in the lower atmosphere. Such weathering products form on Earth in the presence of water and an oxidizing atmosphere. The reddish surface materials may be limonite (hydrated ferric oxide). ![]() Orange-red surface materials cover most of the surface, apparently forming a thin veneer over darker bedrock exposed in patches, as in the lower right. The local time on Mars is approximately noon. This color picture of Mars was taken July 21-the day following Viking l's successful landing on the planet. Instead, the chopper has proven itself time and time again and become the rover’s aerial scout, flying over areas deemed too dangerous for the rover and surveying potential future destinations. Ingenuity was initially designed as a technology demonstration that would only pursue five flights on Mars after hitching a ride to the red planet with the Perseverance rover, which has been exploring the Martian landscape since February 2021. The software will help Ingenuity with hazard avoidance when landing on the rocky Martian surface by generating digital elevation maps as it navigates on future flights. This was Ingenuity’s first substantial outing since an 18-second hop and hover maneuver on November 22 to test the helicopter after receiving a major software upgrade that could increase the chopper’s life span. The aerial excursion lasted for 52 seconds and took the helicopter a distance of about 50 feet (15 meters) to reposition it. The little 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) chopper completed its 35th flight on December 3 and reached a new altitude record of 46 feet (14 meters). More than a year and a half after its first flight on Mars, the Ingenuity helicopter has set a new record.
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