Ingenuity- Mars 2020 Helicopter, Deployment & Operations |
Ingenuity- Mars 2020 Helicopter, Deployment & Operations |
Mar 7 2021, 04:35 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 122 Joined: 19-June 07 Member No.: 2455 |
I'm putting this in the Early Drives category because I believe that one of the primary purposes of these first drives is to find a spot for the helicopter.
Is anyone else wondering like I am just what the terrain needs to look like to set the helicopter down? It sure looks to me that the areas we're in right now are largely free of obstacles for flying and landing with no large rocks. Unless you go for some completely sand covered spot I'm not sure you're going to find any areas any more pristine. Does anybody have any info about what type of zone they are exactly looking for? Since the helicopter is not really designed to be used for investigation of terrain but more as just a proof of concept of flight, I would imagine the choice of area would be wide open and flat. Here's what I've got so far about upcoming events. 1. The helicopter below the rover limits ground clearance so it is vital that the helicopter phase be early in the drives so the rover is not limited in mobility. 2. The main purpose of the helicopter is proof of concept of Mars flight so the emphasis is not using it for exploration/route planning/research photography but merely that we can sustain flight - take off, fly autonomously, and land safely. 3. Once deposited on the surface, it will take a number of days of check outs prior to the first real flight. Should we create a new topic that is discussion about the helicopter? |
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Mar 30 2021, 07:45 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 3-June 04 From: Brittany, France Member No.: 79 |
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Mar 31 2021, 04:55 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 240 Joined: 18-July 06 Member No.: 981 |
[quote name='neo56' date='Mar 30 2021, 08:45 PM' post='251285']
Animation of Ingenuity deployment from sols 35 to 38. Thank you! I would imagine they have taken video of each phase of the deployment which would be show smooth rotation of the various components. Is this just wishful thinking? The cameras can shoot at 10 fps and it would makes sense to have such a video. Mark |
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Mar 31 2021, 06:18 PM
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14433 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
I would imagine they have taken video of each phase of the deployment which would be show smooth rotation of the various components. There are pyrotechnic devices being fired during these steps. You don't want science cameras pointed at pyro devices when they're going off. |
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Mar 31 2021, 07:09 PM
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#5
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2517 Joined: 13-September 05 Member No.: 497 |
There are pyrotechnic devices being fired during these steps. Good point. I thought this was all non-pyrotechnic, but based on https://www.compositesworld.com/news/nasa-i...or-first-flight you're correct, there was a pyro involved. -------------------- Disclaimer: This post is based on public information only. Any opinions are my own.
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