Contra-rotating helicopter now based on Mars
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 338
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: 185
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: 337
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: 65
Posts: 3,131
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
Age: 51
Posts: 158
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: Farnborough
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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
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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
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_(rover) - expected life 90 sols, actual life >5,000 sols
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Join Date: Sep 2019
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so, one could get in to business without a local license and other nonsense. Where can one sign?