Contra-rotating helicopter now based on Mars
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 350
Contra-rotating helicopter now based on Mars
Fellow Rotorheads, I think it's a great time to jointly celebrate the fact that a rotary-winged unmanned aircraft is now based on Mars following NASAs successful Perseverance Rover landing today. When it launches for an area survey we should collectively (yes pun intended) celebrate pushing aerodynamic lift aviation frontiers further, higher and more distant from Earth than any fixed wing lift machine ever did ! Aptly named Ingenuity. pp.
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 321
Originally Posted by peterperfect
Fellow Rotorheads, I think it's a great time to jointly celebrate the fact that a rotary-winged unmanned aircraft is now based on Mars following NASAs successful Perseverance Rover landing today. When it launches for an area survey we should collectively (yes pun intended) celebrate pushing aerodynamic lift aviation frontiers further, higher and more distant from Earth than any fixed wing lift machine ever did ! Aptly named Ingenuity. pp.
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: London/Atlanta
Posts: 370
More news here
It will be the first remote flight on another planet, and is one of the most exciting elements of the Perseverance project.
Scientists say about five flights are planned for the helicopter, dubbed Ingenuity, over the next 30 days.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/scienc...nment-56101496
When will the helicopter launch?
It will be around 10 sols - or Martian days which are about 40 minutes longer than Earth days - before Nasa plans to deploy its onboard helicopter.It will be the first remote flight on another planet, and is one of the most exciting elements of the Perseverance project.
Scientists say about five flights are planned for the helicopter, dubbed Ingenuity, over the next 30 days.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/scienc...nment-56101496
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Everett, WA
Age: 66
Posts: 3,547
Nice article in the Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine:
NASA's Helicopter Ingenuity Will Attempt the First Flight on Mars | Science | Smithsonian Magazine
NASA's Helicopter Ingenuity Will Attempt the First Flight on Mars | Science | Smithsonian Magazine
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: South East Asia
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it is packed into the rover, and comes down from bellow the rover under belly
Very thin air on Mars, those propelers run at 2500RPM, very short autonomy too.
usefull life of the helicopter is limited to 30 flights I think I heard.
Very thin air on Mars, those propelers run at 2500RPM, very short autonomy too.
usefull life of the helicopter is limited to 30 flights I think I heard.
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: England
Posts: 75
Originally Posted by jolihokistix
How and where will it shelter in a (dust) storm? Could the rover come along and to some degree protect this rotor craft?
I seem to recall previous rovers were expected to have a limited life span due to dust build up on the solar panels but this never happened. Which is why the older rovers are still going, or at least went for a lot longer than expected.
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,248
Originally Posted by md 600 driver
Does the operator need a licence or permit to pilot the helicopter on Mars and who woukd they apply too
I think it’s all uncontrolled airspace.anyhow and there are no 5 Star hotels for the inspectors to stay in so chances of a base inspection are slim to nil.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London
Posts: 22
Originally Posted by Agile
it is packed into the rover, and comes down from bellow the rover under belly
Very thin air on Mars, those propelers run at 2500RPM, very short autonomy too.
usefull life of the helicopter is limited to 30 flights I think I heard.
Very thin air on Mars, those propelers run at 2500RPM, very short autonomy too.
usefull life of the helicopter is limited to 30 flights I think I heard.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_(rover) - expected life 90 sols, actual life >5,000 sols
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: On the big blue planet
Posts: 984
Originally Posted by TURIN
Yep, and Elon Musk/SpaceX reckon they can get it down to one month!
They didn't say how.
They didn't say how.
Skadi
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: uk
Posts: 921
Originally Posted by Nigel Osborn
If they want a pilot to go to Mars to fly a helicopter in the future as it takes 7 years to travel each way, as I haven't got 14 years left in me, I think I'll give it a miss!
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Outer ring of HEL
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Originally Posted by albatross
Don’t think so unless Marvin works for the Martian CAA. (We don’t want any “Earth Shattering Kabooms”).
I think it’s all uncontrolled airspace.anyhow and there are no 5 Star hotels for the inspectors to stay in so chances of a base inspection are slim to nil.
I think it’s all uncontrolled airspace.anyhow and there are no 5 Star hotels for the inspectors to stay in so chances of a base inspection are slim to nil.
