This is a terrific piece by Ars Technica on the innovation that created Ingenuity and what it means for the future of space exploration: "It turns out NASA’s Mars helicopter was much more revolutionary than we knew": https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/01/now-that-weve-flown-on-mars-what-comes-next-in-aerial-planetary-exploration/
That'll do, Ingenuity. That'll do.
Who's ready to cry over another anthropomorphized space robot? * raises hand *
Ingenuity's incredible Martian mission has come to an end. It was intended as a technology "proof of concept," with a mission span of 30 days and a max of 5 test flights. Many believed the little helicopter wouldn't fly at all in the thin Martian atmosphere.
Instead, it flew 72 missions in 3 years, traversing over 11 miles and reaching as high as 79 feet in the air. It flew in treacherous terrain, dealt with a dead sensor, cleaned itself off after dust storms, operated from 48 different airfields, performed three emergency landings, and survived a frigid Martian winter. Through all that, it wormed its way into our hearts and inspired our imagination.
On January 18th, it sustained rotor damage during landing and lost contact with Perseverance and NASA. Communications were re-established the next day, and imagery revealed damage to one of its blades severe enough to render it unable to take off again.
With such an amazing performance that silenced every doubter, Ingenuity is only the first craft to fly on Mars; it will not be the last.
That'll do, Ingenuity. That'll do.
Learn more here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/after-three-years-on-mars-nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-mission-ends
Starship
Just look at these photos!
From SpaceX on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1702774532174733387:
“Starship represents a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.”
Sunrise on Mars
Stunning morning clouds over Jezero Crater, captured by the Perseverance rover’s NavCams on March 18 (Sol 738). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Kevin M. Gill
As Professor of Physics Brian Cox so eloquently said: “A beautiful photograph of clouds in the Martian sky, 200 years after the first photograph was taken and just over a century after the first powered flight. We can do wonderful things when we put our minds to it.”
High-res version: https://flic.kr/p/2onS6xJ
Originally posted on Twitter.
Happy 10th, Curiosity!
Who's the bestest little rover?
10 years ago today, a jetpack lowered NASA’s Curiosity rover onto the Red Planet, beginning the SUV-size explorer’s pursuit of evidence that, billions of years ago, Mars had the conditions needed to support microscopic life.
Since then, Curiosity has driven nearly 18 miles and ascended 2,050 feet as it explores Gale Crater and the foothills of Mount Sharp within it. The rover has analyzed 41 rock and soil samples, relying on a suite of science instruments to learn what they reveal about Earth’s rocky sibling. Curiosity’s mission was recently extended for another three years, allowing it to continue among NASA’s fleet of important astrobiological missions.
This gorgeous poster is courtesy of Justin Van Genderen, and you can download it here: https://mars.nasa.gov/.../curiosity-10-years-of-martian.../
Learn more about Curiosity's 10 years of exploration here: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/
Originally posted on Facebook.
Keep Exploring
NASA has extended the planetary science missions of eight of its spacecraft due to their scientific productivity and potential to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the solar system and beyond.
The missions – Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover), InSight lander, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, OSIRIS-REx, and New Horizons – have been selected for continuation
Check that out! Curiosity is such a champ, showing no signs of slowing down on Mars after a decade of exploring the Red Planet. OSIRIS-REx is going to visit * another * asteroid, and New Horizons - can you believe it made its extraordinary visit to Pluto SEVEN years ago - will continue to probe the far outer reaches of our solar system.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-extends-exploration-for-8-planetary-science-missions
Originally posted on Twitter.
Parachute
Perseverance has found the parachute that brought it safely to the Mars surface!
“Looks like @NASAPersevere has spotted the EDL supersonic parachute lying on the ground! This is an image taken with its right Mastcam-Z on April 6, 2022 (sol 401) with a zoom of 110mm. AI-upscaled and adjusted to approximate natural color.” Link
Originally posted on Twitter.
Good News From Space
NASA is bursting with great news for us this week!
(1) Following the completion of the final critical mirror alignment steps, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope team now expects that Webb’s optical performance will be able to meet or exceed the science goals the observatory was built to achieve. Every optical parameter that has been checked and tested is performing at, or above, expectations. The team also found no critical issues and no measurable contamination or blockages to Webb’s optical path. The observatory is able to successfully gather light from distant objects and deliver it to its instruments without issue.
The image was taken to "prove" alignment had been successfully completed - and, yes, all those smudges are galaxies. Expect the science images to start arriving this summer!
(2) After 21 flights, NASA has extended Ingenuity’s flight operations through September as it continues with scouting efforts for Perseverance. The helicopter that so many insisted would never be able to fly at all, will now fly on Mars for a second year. Go, Ginny! #thelittlehelicopterthatcould
Originally posted on Facebook.
Percy's Gold Medal
Perseverance took the gold medal on February 4 for the longest drive made by a Mars rover in a single Martian day, after it traveled more than 245 meters (806 feet), beating the record held by NASA's Opportunity rover since 2015.
And just look at that image it captured when it did…. <3
Originally posted on Twitter.
Picture Postcard From Mars
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured a remarkable image from its most recent perch on the side of Mars’ Mount Sharp. The mission team was so inspired by the beauty of the landscape, they combined two versions of the black-and-white images from different times of the day and added colors to create a rare postcard from the Red Planet.
More about how the image was created here: https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9080/nasas-curiosity-rover-sends-a-picture-postcard-from-mars/
Originally posted on Twitter.
Martian Sunset
Perseverance has captured its first Mars sunset in a compelling panoramic image. Such serene, yet lonely, beauty.
https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1461486482573512704
Originally posted on Twitter.
Percy & Ingenuity
Perseverance recently captured this adorable selfie with its little buddy, Ingenuity. Is it any wonder we anthropomorphize these wonderful robots?
By the way, Ingenuity is scheduled to fly for the NINTH time in the next week. Pushing ever farther, faster and higher.
See the high-res version here.
Originally posted on Twitter.
Ingenuity's Many Successes
Ginny has done such an incredible job in 5 flights (each one more daring than the last), that NASA is extending its mission! The little helicopter that could is no longer a simple technology demonstration - now it's going to be Percy's assistant for a while.
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/01/992739491/nasa-makes-new-plans-for-ingenuity-helicopter-on-mars
Originally posted on Facebook.
Oxygen Created on Mars
Oxygen on Mars. And I'm not even kidding. https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8926/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-extracts-first-oxygen-from-red-planet/
Granted, not a lot of oxygen just yet - about 5 grams produced in an hour - but Percy's MOXIE module just MADE oxygen out of the carbon dioxide in the Mars atmosphere.
MOXIE, like Ingenuity, is another technology demonstration project included in the Perseverance mission. And like Ingenuity, it worked!
Honestly, this might be the biggest breakthrough to come from the entire Perseverance mission. There are a thousand challenges to overcome for humans to live and work on Mars, but oxygen generation has got to be one of the biggest (note: oxygen is also enormously helpful to get people back home to Earth).
What a month for our future in space!
Originally posted on Facebook.
Ingenuity Makes History On Mars
Here's the full high-res video of Ingenuity's successful test flight on Mars, marking the first powered flight beyond Earth. It takes a few seconds to get going, then executes everything exactly as planned, including landing safely and in excellent shape (actually in better shape, as the flight shook loose some of the dirt coating its solar power panels). The goals of the test flight were for the copter to take flight, rise about 10 feet (3 meters) into the air, then hover in place for 30 seconds before turning in midair and descending back to the surface, and it succeeded beautifully.
Human *ingenuity* in action here. Go us. Go our robots.
Ingenuity will fly several more times in the coming weeks - expect new heights and tricks - before its test mission ends.
The area where Ingenuity flew has been named “Wright Brothers Field,” in honor of this historic achievement. And here’s a really cool fact: the world’s currently oldest living person was alive when the Wright brothers flew at Kitty Hawk AND when the first copter flew on Mars. It’s easy to lose sight of the incredible pace of human progress in the noise of messy day-to-day life, but it’s there nonetheless. This is amazing.
If the video doesn’t play for you in the post, you can view it on YouTube here.
Originally posted on Facebook.
Perseverance's First Panorama
NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover got its first high-definition look around its new home in Jezero Crater on Feb. 21, after rotating its mast, or “head,” 360 degrees, allowing the rover’s Mastcam-Z instrument to capture its first panorama after touching down on the Red Planet on Feb 18.
Mastcam-Z is a dual-camera system equipped with a zoom function, allowing the cameras to zoom in, focus, and take high-definition video, as well as panoramic color and 3D images of the Martian surface. With this capability, the robotic astrobiologist can provide a detailed examination of both close and distant objects.
Learn more at: https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8873/nasas-perseverance-rover-gives-high-definition-panoramic-view-of-landing-site/
Originally posted on Twitter.
Sunset on Mars
Sunset....on Mars, captured by Perseverance.
Left navcam image acquired on Feb. 23, 2021 (Sol 4) at the local mean solar time of 16:40:58. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Image post-processing: Michael Seeley
Originally posted on Twitter.
Dare Mighty Things
Okay, I promise this will not turn into the All Perseverance Page. But this week it is!
Percy's parachute had a hidden message embedded in its bright red pattern. Spelled out in binary code was the phrase "DARE MIGHTY THINGS."
That's the spirit, guys and gals! I love engineers. I love scientists and space nerds. Percy is inspiring the world right now, but so are the humans who made it all possible.
Oh, AND - there's a family portrait plaque welded to the top of Percy's frame. It depicts Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance and Ingenuity.
https://apnews.com/.../mars-rover-parachute-secret...
Thanks to Bob Wilson for the link!
Originally posted on Facebook.
Perseverance Perseveres to Land on Mars
Amazing pictures and info from NASA's briefing about Perseverance landing on Mars!
Pictures (top to bottom, left to right):
1) The view from the sky crane (also referred to as a "rocket-powered jetpack") as it guided Percy down to the surface. * wow *
2) A shot of Percy descending under parachute, taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (an impressive craft in its own right).
3) A much higher resolution, color version of the first image posted shortly after Percy’s landing.
4) And because these rovers LOVE taking pictures of their feet, a brand-new image of one of Percy's wheels and the surrounding soil and rocks.
The NASA spokesperson said "Perseverance continues to be highly functional and awesome and I'm exhilarated."
The mast housing the "real" cameras will be deployed on Saturday and start snapping pics soon thereafter. We should also have VIDEO of the landing early next week. NASA is planning to hold another update press conference on Monday.
NASA has gotten quite good at social media in the last several years, and the Perseverance Twitter account is already an absolute gem. Follow it! https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere
Originally posted on Facebook.
A New Lease on Life for Juno and InSight
Fantastic news for space nerds! NASA has extended the Juno mission, which was scheduled to end later this year, until 2025, and detailed plans to send the spacecraft on investigatory flybys of Europa, Io and Ganymede. More stunning images and exciting science will be coming our way.
NASA has also extended the Mars InSight mission through the end of next year. InSight isn't as exciting as Juno, what with it just sitting there on Mars banging away at the ground, but it's still doing important work, and now more of it.
