Nasa’s ingenuity helicopter still stuck on surface of mars as engineers rush to give

[Peter1469]

Well that is a problem. Isn't that something they should have checked prior to launch?


NASA’S INGENUITY HELICOPTER STILL STUCK ON SURFACE OF MARS AS ENGINEERS RUSH TO GIVE

Nasa’s Ingenuity helicopter is still stuck on the surface of Mars as it waits for an urgent software update, the space agency has said.

[carolina73]

[RMNIXON]

Something that complicated and you could bet it had a flaw somewhere.............


Software Update seriously?

[Peter1469]

NASA again postpones historic Ingenuity helicopter flight on Mars

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter project on Mars is having trouble getting off the ground.

The space agency’s much-buzzed-about first powered flight on another planet has been rescheduled a second time because of technical concerns.




Initially, NASA’s “Wright brothers moment” was slated for Sunday but was pushed back to Wednesday after the space agency discovered an issue with the aircraft’s rotors. Then, late Monday, NASA said it is pushing the launch back again to modify and reinstall the helicopter’s flight control software.




The situation is now “fluid,” the space administration says.




“Ingenuity is healthy, but it needs a flight software update. While the development of the software is straightforward, validating and uplinking it will take time. We will set a new flight date next week,” NASA said in a tweet.

[Peter1469]

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity takes off on historic 1st powered flight on another world

The aerial exploration of Mars has begun.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter lifted off on the Red Planet early this morning (April 19), performing the first-ever powered flight on a world beyond Earth.


The 4-lb. (1.8 kilograms) chopper was scheduled to rise from the floor of Mars' Jezero Crater at 12:31 a.m. EDT (0431 GMT) today, get a maximum of 10 feet (3 meters) above the red dirt and land after roughly 40 seconds aloft.


At about 6:15 a.m. EDT (1015 GMT), data came down from Ingenuity — via its much larger partner, NASA's Perseverance rover — that the little rotorcraft had hit its marks. The first photo from Ingenuity showed the helicopter's shadow on the Martian surface below, while the Perseverance rover captured stunning video of the historic flight on Mars.


"Ingenuity has performed its first flight, the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet!" Ingenuity's chief pilot Håvard Grip said as he confirmed telemetry at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.


Brief though today's flight was, it may well be game-changing, paving the way for extensive exploration by Martian aircraft down the road. Thanks to Ingenuity's groundbreaking work, future Red Planet missions could commonly include choppers as scouts for rovers or data collectors in their own right, NASA officials have said.


Video: Watch Ingenuity's first flight on Mars

[DGUtley]

It's funny, our scientists are applauding a drone flying 10 feet on Mars yet theirs are laughing at coming down here an buzzing our planes.

[Peter1469]

Behold! NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity snaps stunning photo from its 1st flight.

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity has made its historic first Red Planet flight — and the photos are unbelievable.

The small helicopter — it's just 19 inches tall (48 centimeters) — took off Monday (April 19) on the first of what are expected to be a half-dozen flights on Mars. All told, the flight was scheduled to last about 40 seconds, team members said.



In addition to an aerial photograph taken by Ingenuity, the NASA team also received video footage from the Perseverance rover that captured the helicopter's transition as it rose up from the Martian surface, hovered briefly and then gently touching down again.


Particularly stunning is the black-and-white image taken by the helicopter itself that shows the view looking straight down at the surface of Mars. On display are rover tracks left by Ingenuity's larger companion, the Perseverance rover, as well as the shadow cast by the helicopter itself. Its boxy core and four rotors are clearly visible.

[Peter1469]

WaPo has a video of the flight.