Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Went Silent, Leaving Anxious NASA Team in the Dark
Posted: Tue May 10, 2022 2:05 am
https://gizmodo.com/nasa-ingenuity-heli ... 1848900525
Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Went Silent, Leaving Anxious NASA Team in the Dark
NASA's Perseverance rover waited and waited for its buddy's signal.
See the picture of the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars' surface, captured by the Perseverance rover using one of its cameras.
Ingenuity launched to Mars while tucked inside Perseverance’s belly, and the two have been exploring the terrain for more than a year.
Late last week, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter managed to reestablish its connection with the Perseverance rover following a brief communications disruption. The space agency says the looming winter is likely responsible and is making adjustments as a result.
On Thursday, Ingenuity — mercifully — sent a signal to Perseverance after the intrepid helicopter missed a scheduled communications session. It marked the first time since the pair landed together on Mars in February 2021 that Ingenuity has missed an appointment, according to NASA.
The team behind the mission believes that Ingenuity had entered into a low-power state to conserve energy, and it did so in response to the charge of its six lithium-ion batteries dropping below a critical threshold. This was likely due to the approaching winter, when more dust appears in the Martian atmosphere and the temperatures get colder. The dust blocks the amount of sunlight that reaches the helicopter’s solar array, which charges its batteries.
Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Went Silent, Leaving Anxious NASA Team in the Dark
NASA's Perseverance rover waited and waited for its buddy's signal.
See the picture of the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars' surface, captured by the Perseverance rover using one of its cameras.
Ingenuity launched to Mars while tucked inside Perseverance’s belly, and the two have been exploring the terrain for more than a year.
Late last week, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter managed to reestablish its connection with the Perseverance rover following a brief communications disruption. The space agency says the looming winter is likely responsible and is making adjustments as a result.
On Thursday, Ingenuity — mercifully — sent a signal to Perseverance after the intrepid helicopter missed a scheduled communications session. It marked the first time since the pair landed together on Mars in February 2021 that Ingenuity has missed an appointment, according to NASA.
The team behind the mission believes that Ingenuity had entered into a low-power state to conserve energy, and it did so in response to the charge of its six lithium-ion batteries dropping below a critical threshold. This was likely due to the approaching winter, when more dust appears in the Martian atmosphere and the temperatures get colder. The dust blocks the amount of sunlight that reaches the helicopter’s solar array, which charges its batteries.