Touching Tribute: Final Message Home from NASA's Mars Helicopter

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NASA's Ingenuity helicopter on Mars sent its final transmission on April 16, paying tribute to its team and including the names of the people who worked on the project. The farewell message was facilitated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs mission controllers, who sent it to the Perseverance rover, which then transmitted it to Ingenuity and back to the rover for communication with Earth. Despite sustaining damage from a rough landing, Ingenuity continued to collect data and communicate with Perseverance. However, with Perseverance moving on, the communications link has now been severed. Ingenuity will continue to collect data on its solar panels, take color pictures of the planet's surface, and measure temperature as long as it remains operational, despite not being able to communicate with the rover anymore. The helicopter's solar panels could gradually accumulate dust, potentially hindering its power supply. Any data collected by Ingenuity will remain stored onboard, with its memory capable of holding up to 20 years' worth of daily data. Ingenuity surpassed expectations by becoming the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flights on another planet, completing 72 flights covering a distance of 10.5 miles. The team is now focused on developing the next Mars helicopter based on lessons learned from Ingenuity's achievements and challenges. Project manager Teddy Tzanetos emphasized that Ingenuity will be waiting at Valinor Hills with its final data for when humanity returns, whether with a rover, a new aircraft, or future astronauts.

#Nasa #Mars #Ingenuity #Perseverance #SpaceExploration

https://globeecho.com/touching-tribute-final-message-home-from-nasas-mars-helicopter/