from the linux-on-mars-or-who-broke-the-helicopter? dept.
NASA's Mars-based helicopter, Ingenuity, has been retired from service after an extended mission that lasted for 72 flights over almost 1,000 Martian days, which was more than 33 times longer than originally planned. The helicopter flew for a total of 128.8 minutes, covered 17.0 km, and reached altitudes as high as 24.0 m. It was taken out of commission due to rotor damage.
Ingenuity landed on Mars Feb. 18, 2021, attached to the belly of NASA's Perseverance rover and first lifted off the Martian surface on April 19, proving that powered, controlled flight on Mars was possible. After notching another four flights, it embarked on a new mission as an operations demonstration, serving as an aerial scout for Perseverance scientists and rover drivers. In 2023, the helicopter executed two successful flight tests that further expanded the team's knowledge of its aerodynamic limits.
The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter used a pair of Snapdragon 801s processors running Linux [warning for PDF] and NASA plans more helicopters for missions on Mars. SN has followed the helicopter's activities over the years in many stories.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Sunday January 28 2024, @01:20AM (6 children)
We've surrendered air superiority and air control to the Martians. Oh well, that's what happens when the logistics train gets too long. Why were we invading Mars again?
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 3, Touché) by crm114 on Sunday January 28 2024, @01:24AM
We were not. We were engaged in a "Special Military Operation."
(Score: 3, Informative) by looorg on Sunday January 28 2024, @01:38AM
Earth have always been at war with Mars. Everything else is a lie.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 28 2024, @03:21AM (2 children)
They're harboring the guy that did 9/11, so obviously it's justifiable
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 28 2024, @05:55PM (1 child)
They are terrifying, hence a valid target for The War On Terror
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29 2024, @02:05AM
Just imagine all that space oil ...
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Sunday January 28 2024, @04:51AM
The Martians should have built a wall.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday January 28 2024, @03:27AM (6 children)
So, if they got 2 hours flight time out of this iteration, and it was a failed rotor that ended it, seems like it would be VERY worthwhile to send a followup mission with an improved rotor robustness design, perhaps even going so far as in-field rotor replacements, to go for more like 20+ hours of flight time next time.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Sunday January 28 2024, @04:53AM (5 children)
Probably lighter to send a second copter than a mechanism that could replace damaged parts.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday January 28 2024, @05:20AM (4 children)
>Probably lighter to send a second copter than a mechanism that could replace damaged parts.
Agreed, but lighter to send a cartridge of 40 spare rotors than 10 copters...
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Sunday January 28 2024, @06:39AM (3 children)
And then you'll find it's something else that breaks.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday January 28 2024, @02:05PM (2 children)
Of course, although with only 2 hour flight time service life on the rotors, I think there's a fair chance you'd get well past 20 hours before something else died.
Also, the cartridge(s) full of rotors would afford the opportunity for materials research testing, particularly if you fly a hexacopter where an in-flight failure of one rotor is no big deal.
The quad/hexacopters we flew at the drone company were built from the same parts bin as toy RC cars. I bought a ~$300 brushless motored Traxxas Bandit for the kids something like 8-9 years ago now, it has well over 20 hours driving time bashing around the dusty/dirty yard with basically zero service other than battery charging, eventual battery replacement, and straightening out the front bumper plate. The differential gears made a horrible grinding noise at one point, I guess something got in, but they eventually ground up whatever it was and still run fine.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by PiMuNu on Sunday January 28 2024, @06:01PM (1 child)
> To keep Ingenuity aloft, its specially shaped blades of enlarged size must rotate between 2400 and 2900 rpm, or about 10 times faster than what is needed on Earth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter) [wikipedia.org]
2 hours flight time on Mars is equivalent to (at least) 20 hours flight time on earth.
> basically zero service ... battery replacement and straightening out the front bumper plate
So now we replace the rotors and replace the batteries? (and straighten out the front bumper plate) what else?
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday January 28 2024, @08:24PM
>2 hours flight time on Mars is equivalent to (at least) 20 hours flight time on earth.
They spin faster, in a thinner atmosphere, with radically different particulates in the air... kind of apples and oranges, but I must admit: $0.29 quad copter blades on Earth do generally last more than two hours flight time, unless you run them into something.
>So now we replace the rotors and replace the batteries? (and straighten out the front bumper plate) what else?
A) the front bumper plate is bent from 14 year old "pilots" ramming into trees at full speed, multiple times. I would assume NASA mission specialists would avoid that
B) even after multiple hits the bumper straightening was more of a preventative maintenance / cosmetic thing than necessary due to lack of proper function, not sure if it ever would have gone so far back as to interfere with the wheels
C) the consumer grade battery, on consumer grade dumb charger, operated by indifferent and neglectful owners who basically ran the battery until the car wouldn't go anymore then slapped it on for charge and ignored it for days or weeks... still lasted over 6 years and hundreds of charge / discharge cycles in those years.
So, unless there's a particular mars-copter component that's anticipated to need service before 20 hours flying time, it may just be rotors that are needed to extend the mission ten fold or more from its previous performance record. They are the most common replacement item on earth bound copters as well, but mostly due to pilot error here. I would expect the NASA battery management system to achieve a bit longer service life than the 2014 Hobby King entry level model.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 4, Touché) by Barenflimski on Sunday January 28 2024, @03:44AM
De-lamination is a cool word, but I'm rooting for bird strike.