NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has acquired new images using its high-resolution color camera. The camera, which is mounted in the helicopter's fuselage, was pointed approximately 22 degrees below the horizon during the flight. The image shows the tracks of Perseverance running alongside a rocky outcrop.
On January 19, 2023 (Sol 681 of the Perseverance rover mission), Ingenuity completed its 40th flight, traveling a horizontal distance of 561 feet (171 meters) and remaining in flight for 85.21 seconds. The flight altitude was 33 feet (10 meters) and the heading was northwest. The flight speed was 7.2 mph (3.2 meters per second).
The goal of the flight was to reposition the helicopter, and the image was captured at the local mean solar time of 16:52:06. These ongoing operations by the Ingenuity team continue to demonstrate the capabilities of the small, experimental helicopter on the Martian surface. The image captured during this flight can be further analyzed by scientists to gain new insight into the Martian surface and atmosphere.
The Ingenuity team continues to showcase the helicopter's ability to capture high-resolution color images from a low-altitude flight. Ingenuity also paves the way for future missions that will use Ingenuity's capabilities to explore the Martian surface over extended distances and varying altitudes.
Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is currently located on the surface of Mars. It landed on the planet on February 18, 2021 as a sub-payload attached to the Perseverance rover. It was first 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 the "Wright Brothers Field" within Jezero Crater. The Perseverance Rover is in operation nearby and is used as a communication relay between the helicopter and NASA's Mission Control.
