This video combines two views of the 59th flight of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Video at the left was once captured by way of the Mastcam-Z on NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover; the black-and-white video at the proper was once taken by way of Ingenuity’s downward-pointing Navcam. The flight came about Sept 16. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS
Engineers will transcend the ends of the Earth to search out extra efficiency for long term Mars helicopters.
For the primary time in historical past, two planets had been house to checking out long term airplane designs. In this international, a brand new rotor that may be used with next-generation Mars helicopters was once lately examined at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, spinning at near-supersonic speeds (0.95 Mach). In the meantime, the company’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has accomplished new altitude and airspeed data at the Crimson Planet within the title of experimental flight checking out.
“Our next-generation Mars helicopter checking out has actually had the most productive of each worlds,” mentioned Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity’s undertaking supervisor and supervisor for the Mars Pattern Restoration Helicopters. “Right here on Earth, you may have the entire instrumentation and hands-on immediacy you need to hope for whilst checking out new airplane elements. On Mars, you may have the true off-world stipulations you need to by no means really re-create right here on Earth.” That features a whisper-thin setting and considerably much less gravity than on Earth.
The following-generation carbon fiber rotor blades being examined on Earth are virtually 4 inches (greater than 10 centimeters) longer than Ingenuity’s, with better energy and a unique design. NASA thinks those blades may just permit larger, extra succesful Mars helicopters. The problem is, because the blade pointers means supersonic speeds, vibration-causing turbulence can temporarily get out of hand.
To discover a area sufficiently big to create a Martian setting on Earth, engineers appeared to JPL’s 25-foot huge, 85-foot-tall (8-meter-by-26-meter) area simulator – a spot the place Surveyor, Voyager, and Cassini were given their first style of space-like environments. For 3 weeks in September, a workforce monitored sensors, meters, and cameras because the blades persevered run after run at ever-higher speeds and larger pitch angles.
A twin rotor gadget for the following technology of Mars helicopters is examined within the 25-Foot Area Simulator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Sept.15. Longer and more potent than the ones used at the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, the carbon-fiber blades reached near-supersonic speeds all over checking out. NASA/JPL-Caltech
“We spun our blades as much as 3,500 rpm, which is 750 revolutions in step with minute sooner than the Ingenuity blades have long gone,” mentioned Tyler Del Sesto, Pattern Restoration Helicopter deputy take a look at conductor at JPL. “Those extra environment friendly blades at the moment are greater than a hypothetical workout. They’re able to fly.”
At round the similar time, and about 100 million miles (161 million kilometers) away, Ingenuity was once being commanded to take a look at issues the Mars Helicopter workforce by no means imagined they’d get to do.
Fourth Rock Flight Checking out
Ingenuity was once at the start slated to fly not more than 5 instances. With its first flight coming into the project logbook greater than two-and-a-half years in the past, the helicopter has exceeded its deliberate 30-day project by way of 32 instances and has flown 66 instances. Each time Ingenuity is going airborne, it covers new flooring, providing a viewpoint no earlier planetary project may just succeed in. However in recent years, Workforce Ingenuity has been taking their solar-powered rotorcraft out for a spin like by no means sooner than.
“During the last 9 months, now we have doubled our max airspeed and altitude, greater our price of vertical and horizontal acceleration, or even discovered to land slower,” mentioned Travis Brown, Ingenuity’s leader engineer at JPL. “The envelope enlargement supplies helpful information that can be utilized by way of project designers for long term Mars helicopters.”
Restricted by way of to be had power and motor-temperature concerns, Ingenuity flights generally closing round two to 3 mins. Despite the fact that the helicopter can quilt extra flooring in one flight by way of flying sooner, flying too speedy can confuse the onboard navigation gadget. The gadget makes use of a digicam that acknowledges rocks and different floor options as they transfer via its box of view. If the ones options whiz by way of too speedy, the gadget can lose its manner.
So, to succeed in a better most flooring velocity, the workforce sends instructions for Ingenuity to fly at greater altitudes (directions are despatched to the helicopter sooner than every flight), which assists in keeping options in view longer. Flight 61 established a brand new altitude file of 78.7 toes (24 meters) because it looked at Martian wind patterns. With Flight 62 Ingenuity set a velocity file of twenty-two.3 mph (10 meters in step with 2nd) – and scouted a location for the Perseverance rover’s science workforce.
The workforce has additionally been experimenting with Ingenuity’s touchdown velocity. The helicopter was once designed to touch the skin at a fairly brisk 2.2 mph (1 mps) so its onboard sensors may just simply ascertain landing and close down the rotors sooner than it will jump again into the air. A helicopter that lands extra slowly may well be designed with lighter touchdown equipment. So, on Flights 57, 58, and 59 they gave it a whirl, demonstrating Ingenuity may just land at speeds 25% slower than the helicopter was once at the start designed to land at.
All this Martian Chuck Yeager-ing isn’t over. In December, after photo voltaic conjunction, Ingenuity is anticipated to accomplish two high-speed flights all over which it’s going to execute a distinct set of pitch-and-roll angles designed to measure its efficiency.
“The knowledge will likely be extraordinarily helpful in fine-tuning our aero-mechanical fashions of the way rotorcraft behave on Mars,” mentioned Brown. “On Earth, such checking out is generally carried out within the first few flights. However that’s no longer the place we’re flying. You need to be slightly extra cautious while you’re working that a long way clear of the closest restore store, since you don’t get any do-overs.”
Extra About Ingenuity
Ingenuity started its existence at Mars as a generation demonstration. It first flew on April 19, 2021, soaring 10 toes (3 meters) for 30 seconds. 4 extra flights in as many weeks added 499 seconds and noticed the helicopter flying horizontally over the skin for 1,171 toes (357 meters). After proving flight was once conceivable on Mars, Ingenuity entered an operations demonstration section in Would possibly 2021 to turn how aerial scouting may just receive advantages long term exploration of Mars and different worlds.
The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was once constructed by way of JPL, which additionally manages the undertaking for NASA Headquarters. It’s supported by way of NASA’s Science Venture Directorate. NASA’s Ames Analysis Heart in California’s Silicon Valley and NASA’s Langley Analysis Heart in Hampton, Virginia, equipped important flight efficiency research and technical help all over Ingenuity’s building. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero additionally equipped design help and main car elements. Lockheed Area designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Supply Device.
At NASA Headquarters, Dave Lavery is this system govt for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.
Information Media Contacts
DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov
Alana Johnson/ Karen Fox
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1501 / 301-286-6284
alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov
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