NASA, JPL, and the Ingenuity Team have done it again. A third successful flight of the Mars Helicopter is one for the history books.
If you haven’t seen the video yet, check it out here: Flight Three
Watching this video in real-time could have been nerve-wracking. When Ingenuity flies out of the frame to the right and then doesn’t come back for a while, I would have been on pins and needles. Knowing that Ingenuity returns safe and sound and successfully lands, ready for another jaunt, made all the difference. The team watching the data come in and learning the results must be overjoyed when the little helicopter returns to its starting point and lands.
According to NASA sources, “Ingenuity is intended to demonstrate technologies needed for flying in the Martian atmosphere. If successful, these technologies could enable other advanced robotic flying vehicles that might be included in future robotic and human missions to Mars. They could offer a unique viewpoint not provided by current orbiters high overhead or by rovers and landers on the ground, provide high-definition images and reconnaissance for robots or humans, and enable access to terrain that is difficult for rovers to reach.” You can stay updated on future planned flights by checking in with Ingenuity every so often at Ingenuity Flight Information.
This particular Mars helicopter does carry cameras for capturing views and navigation. (See some of the details here: Tech-Specs) Ingenuity is a demonstration craft, but I can imagine future versions having sensors, various types of cameras, maybe even carrying navigation beacons for plotting courses. When you consider the varied uses we’ve found for drones, you can envision swarms (well, perhaps not swarms – but flights anyway) of small aircraft navigating around Mars and enriching our knowledge of the Red Planet.
Thank you, again, to the Ingenuity team for your willingness to Dare Mighty Things and for letting us ride along.