Yesterday, April 16, on the 154de commemorating the birth of Wilbur Wright, the Ingenuity flight crew received information that the helicopter was able to complete a rapid turn test. Completing the full-speed turnaround is an important milestone on the road to flight, as the team continues with the command sequence identified on Sol 49 (April 9).
How did we reach this milestone? As with any engineering challenge, there are several approaches to consider. In this case, the team is working on two potential solutions in parallel. The approach that led to today’s successful turn test involved adding a few commands to the flight series. This approach is comprehensive on both the earth and March, and was carried out without endangering the safety of the helicopter. A second approach requires minor tweaking and reinstallation of Ingenuity’s flight control software. The software switch is a simple solution to a known issue. However, it will take a little longer to execute and is a modification of software that has remained stable and unchanged for almost two years. Validation and testing took several days, and transferring and uploading these new files will take some more time.
NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover obtained this image from the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter using its Left Mastcam-Z camera on April 16, 2021 (Sol 55). Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU
What approach should you take? Later tonight, a decision meeting is planned to review all the data from both solution paths, including the analysis, testing and validation efforts – both here at JPL and on Mars. We then choose the way forward for a first flight. We know that people are eager to learn the first flight date, which is why we will be updating this blog on Saturday morning when a decision on the flight date is reached.
What we have learned from this experience is: the work of any challenge means that all approaches must be taken into account, even those that may pose risks. Without risk, there is no reward. Just ask the Wright brothers! Parallel work issues are the hallmark of so many engineering endeavors, and we are proud of what our team has accomplished this week. We will keep you informed of our progress with the first motor flight on Mars.