NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has acquired a new image using its high-resolution color camera. The camera, which is mounted in the helicopter's fuselage and pointed approximately 22 degrees below the horizon, was used during the 38th flight of Ingenuity on January 11, 2023 (Sol 667 of the Perseverance rover mission).
During the flight, Ingenuity traveled a horizontal distance of 456 feet (139 meters) and reached an altitude of 33 feet (10 meters) while flying at a speed of 9 mph (4 m/s) in a heading of North East. The flight, which lasted for 75.56 seconds, was a test of new software being developed for the helicopter.
This image was captured at a mean local solar time of 16:32:20 on January 5, 2023, which was the date of Ingenuity's 38th flight. The image was taken in color and has been credited to NASA/JPL-Caltech.
This latest image from Ingenuity is yet another reminder of the incredible capabilities of this pioneering aircraft and the wealth of scientific data it is helping to gather on the Martian surface.
With its ability to fly over challenging terrain, Ingenuity is helping to open up new areas of the planet for exploration and providing valuable insights into the planet's geology and atmosphere.
Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was delivered to the planet Mars by the Perseverance rover and deployed on April 3, 2021. Since then, it has been conducting test flights in a designated airfield, also known as the "helipad," which is located in an area called "Wright Brothers Field" in Jezero Crater.
The Perseverance Rover is parked nearby and is used as a communication relay between the helicopter and NASA's Mission Control. On Jan 11, 2023, Ingenuity completed it's 39th flight landing at Airfield Z.
