NASA Shows Perseverance with Helicopter

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA Shows Perseverance with Helicopter, Cruise Stage Testing

Quote

The Mars 2020 mission involving NASA’s newly named rover — Perseverance — received a significant boost following the completion of important testing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Activities to measure mass properties of the Cruise Stage vehicle were performed on the spin table inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Successful testing also was performed on NASA’s Mars Helicopter, which will be attached to Perseverance.

  Read More: NASA

 

[BorizBadinov]

Now that's awesome. Able to move over longer distances quickly. Avoiding obstacles and rough terrain, and able to manuever at ground level for sampling and investigation. Pretty cool idea. 

[Waspie_Dwarf]

46 minutes ago, BorizBadinov said:

Now that's awesome. Able to move over longer distances quickly. Avoiding obstacles and rough terrain, and able to manuever at ground level for sampling and investigation. Pretty cool idea. 

The helicopter won't travel far from the rover. It needs to return to Perseverance to recharge its batteries. It will only manage to fly for 90 seconds at a time.

It has two main objectives The first is to prove the technology and so be the precursor to more ambitious flying probes in the future. The second is to scout the route ahead and do identify the easiest route for Perseverance to follow and identify interesting targets. 

[Jon the frog]

I like the fat propellers for thin atmosphere!

Edited April 1, 2020 by Jon the frog

[BorizBadinov]

46 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

The helicopter won't travel far from the rover. It needs to return to Perseverance to recharge its batteries. It will only manage to fly for 90 seconds at a time.

It has two main objectives The first is to prove the technology and so be the precursor to more ambitious flying probes in the future. The second is to scout the route ahead and do identify the easiest route for Perseverance to follow and identify interesting targets. 

90 seconds is still a pretty good distance flying. I suppose the weak atmosphere sucks the power pretty fast having to swing more prop faster to achieve the lift. That will be very interesting to see flight characteristics in the Martian atmosphere. Also how much issue the dust makes for the rotor bearings. If it works out it could be a real steppingstone for exploration. Very exciting.

[toast]

15 minutes ago, BorizBadinov said:

I suppose the weak atmosphere sucks the power pretty fast having to swing more prop faster to achieve the lift.

Good point but I dont know (yet) if it will need more energy because it needs less torque because of the thin air there.

[BorizBadinov]

1 minute ago, toast said:

Good point but I dont know (yet) if it will need more energy because it needs less torque because of the thin air there.

Also a good point. It weighs less there. I didn't even think about that for some reason. 

[toast]

4 minutes ago, BorizBadinov said:

Also a good point. It weighs less there. I didn't even think about that for some reason. 

We are now priority targets of NASA headhunters

[BorizBadinov]

5 minutes ago, toast said:

We are now priority targets of NASA headhunters

I would probably end up as the subject of one of those what went wrong documentaries 

[Waspie_Dwarf]

For me the most impressive thing about the Mars Helicopter is that it will have to carry out it's mission autonomously. Because of the distance between Earth and Mars the Helicopter will have completed it's 90 second flight before the ground controllers even know that it has taken off.

I hope that what they learn will be incorporated in to NASA's next, and far more ambitious, rotor craft probe, the Dragonfly, which is being sent to Titan (see here).

[tmcom]

True, it will pinpoint, statues, artifacts and plantlife and keep well away from it.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

6 hours ago, tmcom said:

True, it will pinpoint, statues, artifacts and plantlife and keep well away from it.

You are right it will keep well away from them, it's going to Mars, those things are on Earth.