Ingenuity- Mars 2020 Helicopter, Deployment & Operations |
Ingenuity- Mars 2020 Helicopter, Deployment & Operations |
Mar 7 2021, 04:35 PM
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#1
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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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Apr 5 2021, 02:52 AM
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#2
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Yikes. Do I see dust on the arrays already...?
-------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Apr 5 2021, 03:18 AM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 122 Joined: 19-June 07 Member No.: 2455 |
Yikes. Do I see dust on the arrays already...? Not sure where dust would have come from to have got to the top of Ingenuity. The cover was still on during landing and early roving and the rover didn't go very far after removing it with the solar panel vertical during that time until unfolding and deployment. Sure a drop of a few inches didn't kick up a bunch of dust. I'm certain they drove the rover away slowly. We'd really need a zoomed in shot to confirm that is actually some dust coating and not just different coloration of the panels. |
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