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 9 2021, 05:43 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 102 Joined: 12-August 12 Member No.: 6540 |
Some quick notes from today's pre-flight briefing regarding Ingenuity:
- It is getting enough energy to charge its battery, and should have enough energy for the first flight - It will lift 4m straight up, then rotate towards the rover and take a picture (and maybe image the rover) - The rover's ZCAM will attempt to take images and video of the helicopter in flight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C_IyUdKKXI |
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Apr 9 2021, 07:00 PM
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#3
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14433 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
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Apr 9 2021, 07:32 PM
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#4
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Member Group: Members Posts: 102 Joined: 12-August 12 Member No.: 6540 |
I heard 3m. Importantly for this crowd - there was a strong commitment to keeping the flow of raw images going - and a shout out to the creations people like those in this community are making. Yep, it was 3m. I think when she said the helicopter weighs 4 lbs, the 4 stuck in my head. I totally agree that the image processing people make this site what it is. The panoramas they create are just jaw dropping. My image processing skills and software are crude at best, so I plan to take a break from posting. But I will be enjoying the wonderful vistas about to unfold. |
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