Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has a Problem

Ingenuity Helicopter was expected to last about a month if it actually worked on Mars but now one year later the little chopper is showing signs that its flown its last flight , on May 3rd Perseverance rover lost contact with its helicopter as it had entered a low-power state possibly as a result of dust build up on its solar panels , as we've seen from recent images there is a lot of dust in the atmosphere so less light getting to the solar panels and more dust on the panels reducing solar power that can be generated.

The FPGA manages Ingenuity’s operational state, switching the other avionics elements on and off as needed to maximize power conservation. It also operates the heaters that enable the helicopter to survive frigid Martian nights, maintains precise spacecraft time, and controls when the helicopter is scheduled to wake up for communications sessions with Perseverance.

When the FPGA lost power during the Martian night, the helicopter’s onboard clock – which designates the time that communications with Perseverance occur – reset. And Ingenuity’s heaters, so vital to keeping electronics and other components within operational temperatures – turned off. When the Sun rose the next morning and the solar array began to charge the batteries, the helicopter’s clock was no longer in sync with the clock aboard the rover. Essentially, when Ingenuity thought it was time to contact Perseverance, the rover’s base station wasn’t listening.

All is not lost though as Perseverance spent much of the day listening out for the helicopters signal which was finally received just before mid day. local Mars time.

To make sure Perseverance would hear a call, Perseverance mission controllers at JPL commanded the rover to spend almost all of Sol 429 (May 5) listening for the helicopter’s signal. It came at 11:45 a.m. local Mars time. The data transmitted was limited to deliberately preserve battery charge, but the helicopter’s critical health and safety data were nominal. The radio link between Ingenuity and Perseverance was stable, spacecraft temperatures were within expectation, the solar array was recharging the battery at a rate expected for this season, and the battery was healthy, containing 41% of a full charge.

But one radio communications session does not mean Ingenuity is out of the woods. The increased (light-reducing) dust in the air means charging the helicopter’s batteries to a level that will allow important components (like the clock and heaters) to remain energized throughout the night presents a significant challenge.
mars.nasa.gov...

As with Opportunity rover it looks like the Martian winter may be the end for our eye in the Martian sky.

a reply to: gortex

Wow, been a year already!?

Seems like just yesterday I seen that '1st test flight' video you posted... I looked at the date and sure enough, April of 2021...

Thing is... I don't recall seeing much footage from actual 'flights'...

Got any to post?

I am complexed to why NASA would not install a small air compressor, wipers or some other form of dust protection as this thing was predicted to happen.

a reply to: Spacespider

The helicopter originally only had a one month mission , they didn't know if it would work so it was just an experimental craft , the next helicopter will be built with the knowledge gained from Ingenuity Helicopter.

a reply to: gortex

all we need is for that funny man shaped shadow to come along a wipe the solar cells off like it did to that other rover.

the one that looked EXACTLY like a man in a light spacesuit and a backpack

the one they said was a windstorm that cleaned off the rover like a car wash....


ibb.co...


sorry the picture upload isn't on the site.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: Spacespider

The helicopter originally only had a one month mission , they didn't know if it would work so it was just an experimental craft , the next helicopter will be built with the knowledge gained from Ingenuity Helicopter.

I know, but one could think they had learn from all the other dust filled rovers they sent there, relying of winds to clear off the dust.

Even insight have lost 30% of solar collection due to dust on solar panels
www.cnet.com...

a reply to: Spacespider

But the helicopter was only there to see if we could fly UAV in the Marian atmosphere , the main mission is Perseverance rover Ingenuity Helicopter was a short term experiment that ended up lasting a year , a testament to NASA's Ingenuity I think.

originally posted by: Spacespider
I am complexed to why NASA would not install a small air compressor, wipers or some other form of dust protection as this thing was predicted to happen.

Of only it had something like a big fan or something to make its own wind to clean itself. Oh... wait...

How about run the rotor for a few seconds every day or so? Should get more benefit from the improved charging than the power used.

a reply to: beyondknowledge

How about run the rotor for a few seconds every day or so?

The problem is the solar panels are above the rotor blades.

a reply to: noscopebacon

Dam, not seen that one, great link , is it the shadow of The Famous Solway Spaceman?

I also can no longer upload to ATS, i get the following message

"Firefox detected a potential security threat and did not continue to img.abovetopsecret.com because this web site requires a secure connection.

What can you do about it?

The issue is most likely with the web site, and there is nothing you can do to resolve it. You can notify the web site’s administrator about the problem."

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: beyondknowledge

How about run the rotor for a few seconds every day or so?

The problem is the solar panels are above the rotor blades.

Well that is a design flaw. Better luck next design.

a reply to: beyondknowledge

I am guessing it was to maximise exposure to light, if they were underneath the rotors, they would be using energy to spin the rotors while also reducing the actual exposure to light as the rotors cover the panels on each rotation

Then if moving the panels wider than the rotors that may have affected balance

Its finding that balance between the positives and negatives, like a good Witcher game

a reply to: UpThenDown

lol he made a long trip from the moors of the Uk to the dunes of Mars lol.



NASA said that it was the arm of the rover

I'm a BIG space fan and last time i checked not one rover had hair on it.

you can see the guys arms, backpack, face shield/respirator/and his messy hair.


to me that means we are and have been on Mars or that picture wasn't taken on Mars and that means NASA is lying, so no matter what they are lying about what that picture really means and shows.

a reply to: gortex

One year? Wow.

As far as i can tell Ingenuity has been a roaring success.
Wish we could have seen more images from it but I guess at this point its more important that every frame etc is expertly analysed.
Who knows, maybe in the future.

The photo that was linked to?
It did make me raise an eyebrow....I'd be interested in reading what the more informed and learned among us have to say about that.

a reply to: Spacespider

That's my comment as well. They know that this happens. They could also use an electrostatic device to reverse polarity of the panels.

originally posted by: beyondknowledge

originally posted by: Spacespider
I am complexed to why NASA would not install a small air compressor, wipers or some other form of dust protection as this thing was predicted to happen.

Of only it had something like a big fan or something to make its own wind to clean itself. Oh... wait...

How about run the rotor for a few seconds every day or so? Should get more benefit from the improved charging than the power used.

is it static electricity that collects the dust?

can teflon be clear?

i assume they can't make the blades out of the solar panels?

a reply to: sarahvital

is it static electricity that collects the dust?

The helicopter is sat waiting for its next flight a lot of the time so the dust accumulates in that time , it's dust storm season on Mars.

i assume they can't make the blades out of the solar panels?

I don't know but it sounds like a good idea to me.

They already have people there to clean them.

a reply to: gortex

the blades are made of a composite of graphite i think

they should have covered the entire thing solar panels with the main on being the one that already exists.

even a 200MPH wind on Mars would hardly ruffle your hair.

so it might get dusted off enough to get some power to rotate the blades and maybe clean off the whole panel

but back to the blades, they need to be a thin and light as posable and solar panels are not that, they are also very fragile and if you were to rely on just the blades for power one nic in the surface of the blades would ruin it permanently

anyone with a drone knows that blades don't last long and certainly wouldnt last with all the wiring for solar power.


they could have used an unshielded RTG using something more active that Plutonium like Polonium even a small one to generate the power to charge the batteries even if it took a day or two and would also keep it warm at night and the solar power could be the backup.


or the rover could have had an extendable landing pad where the copter could land and charge wirelessly

hell even use the laser on it to pump power to a photovoltaic cell to trickle charge it over night