Nasa, Jet Propulsion Laboratory url: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-mars-helicopter-spots-gear-that-helped-perseverance-rover-land
SPACE – A spectacular aerial view. On April 19, the Ingenuity helicopter from the Nasa on Mars obtained unique images of the parachute and the cone that protected the rover Perseverance when it arrived on the red planet in February 2021.
Unveiled by NASA this Thursday, April 28, these ten color images of the landing debris in the Jezero crater are of rare clarity. It is yet another technical feat for the Ingenuity helicopter, which has just celebrated its one-year mission to Mars. “Each time we’re airborne, Ingenuity covers new ground and provides insight that no previous planetary mission has been able to reach (…),” said Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity Team Leader at Jet Propulsion. NASA laboratory, in a press release.
“The best documented Mars landing in history”
The mission of this miniature helicopter, which left alongside Perseverance on February 18, was initially supposed to last 31 days and be limited to five test flights. Ingenuity is already on its 26th flight and is multiplying the exploits. These latest photographs of Perseverance’s landing will allow scientists to prepare for future Martian missions.
Indeed, this is not a fortuitous observation. Ingenuity serves as a scout for the mission Perseverance. This joint NASA and European Space Agency project aims to bring materials collected by the rover back to Earth, possibly as early as 2033.
“Perseverance had the best-documented Mars landing in history,” said Ian Clark, Perseverance’s former systems engineer. “But Ingenuity’s images offer a different perspective. If they confirm that our systems worked, or even if they provide a set of technical information that we can use to plan the return of samples to Mars, that will be extraordinary. And if not, the images are still phenomenal and inspiring.”
New missions for Ingenuity
The first analyzes of the new photos from Ingenuity suggest that the landing went very well for Perseverance despite the pressure the rover was under. The descent on the red planet is made in extreme conditions linked to the entry into the atmosphere of Mars at nearly 20,000 kilometers per hour. Despite this, Perseverance’s parachute and protective shell remained in good condition.
You can’t see it in the photos, but “the protective coating on the back shell appears to have remained intact during the entry into the Martian atmosphere. Many of the 80 lines (cables connecting the canopy of a parachute, editor’s note) are visible and also appear to be intact,” NASA scientists explain.
Ingenuity will continue to take pictures, and its missions will even expand. The helicopter will help Perseverance discover the remains of a delta that once existed on the ground of Jezero billions of years ago. This area might contain traces of ancient life on the red planet.
The (very important) role of Ingenuity will be to determine the best route to reach the top of the delta. “We can even use the ingenuity of the helicopter to take pictures of geological features too far away for the rover to reach”, imagine the managers of the Martian mission. Ingenuity has not finished surprising us.
See also on The HuffPost: The Ingenuity Helicopter’s Last Flight Was Very Stressful For NASA
