NASA's Mars Ingenuity Helicopter Just Resumed Contact After Two Months Of Radio Silence
More than two months after losing contact, mission controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California have re-established contact with NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Sent to Mars as part of the ongoing Mars 2020 Mission, the Ingenuity Helicopter made history in 2021 after performing the first-ever powered flight on another planet.
When NASA lost contact with the rotorcraft on April 26, 2023, it was on its 52nd flight above the Martian surface. The goal of this short, 139-second flight was to change the position of the craft and to take additional images of the Martian surface. The helicopter was to cover a distance of 1191 feet during the process. However, this particular flight also involved Ingenuity flying over a small hill, which eventually became a communication barrier between Ingenuity and the Perseverance rover.
By the end of Flight 51, Ingenuity was on the other side of this hill, essentially blocking all signals from the rotorcraft to the Perseverance rover. With Ingenuity depending on the rover for controls and for relaying information back to Earth, this also meant that the rotorcraft remained uncontactable for over 63 days. Things changed on June 28, 2023, when scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) made Perseverance climb over the hill, after which it came within the range of Ingenuity's antennae.
Getting ready for Flight 53
Despite being missing for over two months, and staying at one place for an extended period, Ingenuity seems to be in very good condition. This is primarily because scientists had already prepared for a loss of contact scenario prior to Flight 52. In such a scenario, the original plan was to drive the Perseverance rover over the hill by the end of June, which is exactly what the JPL did two days ago.
While scientists continue to review data from Ingenuity's last flight back in April, it is already clear to them that all of Ingenuity's onboard systems are in perfect working order. Once JPL scientists complete the remainder of Ingenuity's health checks, they intend to prep the rotorcraft for its 53rd flight mission. If all goes to plan, we could see Ingenuity take this flight within the next couple of weeks.
NASA has already set Flight 53's target, likely involving a journey to an interim airfield west of Ingenuity's current location. Following Flight 53, the rotorcraft is expected to undertake another flight in the same direction, establishing a new base of operations near a rocky outcrop slated for exploration by the Perseverance Team in the forthcoming months.