Mars 2020, Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter drone, NASA, USA

[Airicist]

Operator - NASA (https://pr.ai/showthread.php?6021)

Rocket - Atlas V 541 (https://pr.ai/showthread.php?t=7268)

mars.nasa.gov/mars2020 (https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020)

nasa.gov/perseverance (https://www.nasa.gov/perseverance)

facebook.com/NASAPersevere (https://www.facebook.com/NASAPersevere)

twitter.com/NASAPersevere (https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere)

instagram.com/perseverance.mars (https://www.instagram.com/perseverance.mars)

Mars 2020 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_2020) on Wikipedia

Playlist "Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2aBZuCeDwlRF14ds9UR1uVpLRjDQy7d5)"

Playlist "NASA's Mars 2020 mission (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpGTA7wMEDFgv_B3ZCGY-xWfd9lcRHGTW)"

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/1cRhU6bMLis

Mars 2020 Rover and Beyond News Teleconference from NASA Headquarters in Washington DC

Published on Jul 31, 2014


During a July 31 briefing at NASA headquarters, agency officials announced seven science instruments, out of fifty-eight proposed, have been selected to be part of the next rover NASA will send to Mars in 2020. The Mars 2020 rover will be a new version of the Curiosity rover currently operating on Mars – with more sophisticated hardware to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations, including geological assessments, habitability of the environment and searching for signs of past life on the Red Planet.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/AfF5WkmjmpE

Mars 2020 rover gets updated concept art

Published on May 24, 2017


A third rover is headed to Mars in 2020, and it's got some upgrades onboard.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/s595S1Vf3PE

NASA begins building next Mars Rover Mission

Published on Nov 28, 2017


In just a couple of years, NASA’s newest rover will be flying to Mars. The Mars 2020 mission will use the next generation of science and landing technology to collect rock samples for possible return by a future mission.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/987RDiG63h0

Meet the Mars 2020 rover launching this year

Jan 3, 2020


We visited the clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to check out the Mars 2020 rover, which is set to launch this summer.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/uc7rl3EXFS4

#EZScience Episode 4: The Path to Mars 2020

Jan 28, 2020


Let's talk about science! Watch the fourth episode of our #EZScience series to learn about NASA’s upcoming Mars 2020 rover mission by looking back at the Mars Pathfinder mission and Sojourner rover. Discover the innovative elements of Mars 2020 (including a small solar-powered helicopter!) and what we hope to learn about the Red Planet when our new rover arrives in February 2021.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/Muj4s7BCiMI

'Perseverance' - NASA Mars 2020 rover's name is revealed

Mar 5, 2020


NASA has announced winner of the Mars 2020 rover naming contest and it is "Perseverance." Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator for the science mission directorate at NASA, made the announcement on March 5, 2020.

"NASA to Reveal Name of Next Mars Rover, Hold Media Teleconference (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-reveal-name-of-next-mars-rover-hold-media-teleconference)"

[Airicist]

Article "Assembly of Mars rover’s rocket to begin this week (https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/05/24/assembly-of-mars-rovers-rocket-to-begin-this-week)"

by Stephen Clark
May 24, 2020

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/yIWyFX0uxoc

NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover – Countdown to Mars

Streamed live June 17, 2020


Follow the road to launch for our next mission to the Red Planet, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. NASA leadership and a panel of scientists and engineers will preview the upcoming mission at 2 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 17.

Briefing participants will be:
- NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
- Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance deputy project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California
- Matt Wallace, Perseverance deputy project manager at JPL
- Luis Dominguez, Perseverance deputy electrical integration and test lead at JPL
- Omar Baez, launch director in NASA's Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida

Perseverance is a robotic scientist that will search for signs of past microbial life on Mars and characterize the planet's climate and geology. It will also collect rock and soil samples for future return to Earth and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. The mission is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:15 a.m. EDT July 20. It will land at Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/d5ehz7pHprk

Testing the Mars Helicopter Delivery System (https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter) on NASA's Perseverance Rover

Jun 23, 2020


NASA's Ingenuity helicopter is traveling to Mars attached to the belly of the Perseverance rover and must safely detach to begin the first attempt at powered flight on another planet. Tests done at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin Space show the sequence of events that will bring the helicopter down to the Martian surface.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/6qA9iaAUo8k

We persevere

Jul 7, 2020


NASA's next Mars rover has a name – Perseverance. Like every exploration mission before, our rover is going to face challenges, and it’s going to make amazing discoveries.

The time at hand is hard. We have already surmounted many obstacles on our way to Red Planet, but as humans we will not give up. We will always persevere.

Targeted for launch in July 2020, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover will search for signs of habitable conditions on Mars in the ancient past and for signs of past microbial life itself.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/qwdfdE6ruMw

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter (https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter): attempting the first powered flight on mars

Jul 14, 2020


NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter will make history's first attempt at powered flight on another planet next spring. It is riding with the agency's next mission to Mars (the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover) as it launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station later this summer. Perseverance, with Ingenuity attached to its belly, will land on Mars February 18, 2021.

As a technology demonstration, Ingenuity is testing a new capability for the first time: showing controlled flight is possible in the very thin Martian atmosphere. If successful, Ingenuity could lead to an aerial dimension to space exploration, aiding both robots and humans in the future.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/mV1sYjE-zMU

ORNL-produced tech fuels NASA's Perseverance mission to Mars

July 17, 2020


ORNL produces some pretty out-of-this-world materials. Plutonium-238, a unique iridium alloy, and carbon-bonded carbon fiber are all key ingredients for deep space exploration. NASA uses these materials in the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, or MMRTG.

An MMRTG is like a nuclear-powered battery pack that can sustain far-reaching space missions for decades.NASA’s Perseverance mission to Mars is the latest to feature one of these generators outfitted with ORNL tech.

(Animations courtesy of NASA, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.)

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/N_Igfs9aS1A

NASA Space Crafts: Mars Perseverance Rover

Jul 17, 2020


Mars beckons and NASA is ready to heed the call of the Red Planet with the upcoming launch of the Perseverance rover. But before launch day, kids of all ages can put their imagination to paper via the latest edition of NASA Space Crafts.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/1P-QBtEyDbQ

#EZScience Episode 9: Launching to Mars with NASA's Perseverance Rover

July 18, 2020


Let’s talk about science! In the latest episode of #EZScience, learn about the upcoming launch of Perseverance. Dr. E and Dr. Z talk about the technological advancements of the newest Mars rover (and helicopter!). The premiere of this episode is part of the National Air and Space Museum’s Mars Day program.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/WtAWNeVrnck

Drone copter to take flight for the first time on Mars

Jul 20, 2020


Despite a global pandemic and some technical delays, NASA’s 2020 Mars Rover – the aptly named Perseverance – is scheduled to launch this summer (currently slated for July 30) on a groundbreaking endeavor. Perseverance will bring along a small, four-pound helicopter dubbed Ingenuity. The copter will be the first flying vehicle on another planet and will have to navigate the frigid nights and dust-filled skies of Mars while operating in an atmosphere that is 100 times thinner than Earth’s. Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Marc Pavone played a role in determining the mission's landing site.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/7dNJg6-UYP4

NASA leaders discuss Mars Perseverance Mission

Jul 20, 2020

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/18zT0AzodbI

Roving the Red Planet Perseverance, Ingenuity, and the next generation of explorers

July 21, 2020


Join Space Foundation for a live webinar featuring @NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen, Director of the @NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Michael Watkins, and Mars Helicopter Project Manager MiMi Aung.

Senior NASA leaders will discuss the groundbreaking Mars 2020 mission followed by a live Q&A.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/OnHqYgl88Yo

NASA Science Live: Perseverance Mars Rover & the Search for Ancient Life

July 22, 2020


Millions of miles from Earth lies a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. You know this planet as Mars…but it hasn’t always been this way. There’s evidence that the Red Planet was much wetter and warmer, with a thicker atmosphere, billions of years ago. Could it also have supported life? NASA’s Perseverance rover launches next week and will explore the Red Planet to collect rock and soil samples, which may preserve ancient signs of life. Join experts on #NASAScience Live Wednesday, July 22 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, to learn more about this robotic astrobiologist.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/WVEXpNR-W90

Getting NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover to the Launch Pad

Jul 22, 2020


In February 2020, NASA’s Perseverance Rover began its long journey to Mars by first traveling across the United States. The rover was built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and then carefully packed and flown to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. There, engineers integrated the rover with the spacecraft that carries it to Mars, and the Atlas V rocket chosen to send it on its way.

The launch period for the Perseverance rover opens July 30, 2020.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/5qqsMjy8Rx0

Mission overview: NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover

Jul 27, 2020


NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is heading to the Red Planet to search for signs of ancient life, collect samples for future return to Earth and help pave the way for human exploration. The rover will carry with it several technology demonstrations including a helicopter, which will attempt humanity's first powered flight on another planet. Perseverance has a new set of science instruments and the ability to “self-drive” on the Martian surface.

The Perseverance rover is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex 41 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center as early as July 30. It is set to land at Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/yNlAFzG44ko

How do you build a Mars Rover?

Jul 27, 2020


How will Perseverance help with future human exploration? And how will the Mars Ingenuity Helicopter work?

NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is creating a lot of excitement. The new rover will look for signs of past microbial life, cache rock and soil samples, and prepare for future human exploration.

As part of the assembly, test, and launch operations team, NASA engineer Michelle Colizzi explains the Perseverance rover’s mission. She details how the drill will collect core samples and outlines plans to test a new technology to produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/V0dw0hwBYTs

Perseverance Mars Rover pre-launch news conference

Jul 27, 2020


Learn more about the planned July 30 launch of our Mars 2020 rover from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket, featuring:

- Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator

- Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA Associate Administrator

- Omar Baez, Launch Director, NASA Launch Services Program

- Matt Wallace, Mars 2020 Deputy Project Manager, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

- Tory Bruno, President and CEO, United Launch Alliance

- Jessica Williams, 45th Space Force Weather Officer

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/kG-J9hRVGLQ

Perseverance Mars Rover Mission engineering & science briefing

Jul 27, 2020


Our Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover will search for signs of ancient life beyond Earth. Find out more about the mission from the scientists and engineers on the team.

Lori Glaze, Planetary Science Division Director, NASA HQ
Jennifer Trosper, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (remote)
Farah Alibay, Second engineer about mobility, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Ken Farley, Project Scientist, California Institute of Technology
Tanja Bosak, Sedimentology and Astrobiology Science Team Member, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/8djYi13XoNI

Mars rover showdown! Perseverance vs. NASA's '90s rover

Jul 28, 2020


The high-tech Mars 2020 rover is about to launch into space (complete with its own helicopter). But how does this one-tonne beast compare to the original, pint-sized rover we sent to Mars in 1997?

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/2zORTRedW_U

Rocket Ranch Episode 23: Mars 2020: in the midst of a pandemic

Jul 28, 2020


The launch team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida has persevered through a global pandemic to get a Mars rover named Perseverance to the launch pad on time. Learn more about the cloud of doubt the virus cast over the Mars 2020 mission and how NASA overcame it.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/McqMigM_YG8

Episode 9 Part 2: Mars Perseverance Rover Will Look for Signs of Ancient Life

Jul 28, 2020

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/3SEOiC5IVXA

How the Perseverance Mars Rover will help NASA return Mars samples to Earth

July 29, 2020


When our Perseverance Mars rover launches on July 30, it's set to be the first leg of a series of sample return missions in the search for evidence of life beyond Earth. Watch as experts from both NASA and the European Space Agency discuss how Perseverance will collect samples for future return to Earth.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/Q4r1_HcRYmI

How NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover's technology will help astronauts explore Mars

July 28, 2020


NASA's Perseverance Mars rover carries technology that helps to lay the way forward for human exploration of the Red Planet. Scientists from NASA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explain.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/lR4hWlL_LYI

What’s the status of our Perseverance Rover launch to Mars?

July 29, 2020


Reporting from the Countdown Clock at NASA's Kennedy Space Center — America's spaceport — officials from NASA will provide a #CountdownToMars update for the July 30 launch of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch window is approximately two hours, with a launch opportunity every five minutes.

Watch LIVE to see NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Morhard, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, and astronaut Zena Cardman share their insights about the mission.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/IL-qHlLm8ao

Why Perseverance is so extraordinary - NASA's Dr. Z explains (exclusive interview)

Jul 29, 2020

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/JIB3JbIIbPU

Watch NASA's Perseverance Rover launch to Mars!

July 30, 2020


Was there once life on Mars? Our Perseverance rover aims to find out! On Thursday, July 30, watch our new robotic astrobiologist launch on a seven-month journey to the Red Planet. Launching on board will be the most sophisticated set of tools ever sent to Mars, with the hope Perseverance will uncover the planet’s secrets.

Tune in to our live launch broadcast starting at 7 a.m. EDT. Teams are targeting 7:50 a.m. EDT for liftoff of Perseverance atop United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Don’t forget to set a reminder to join us in the #CountdownToMars – you won’t want to miss this historic mission take flight!

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/zbGZufWXJDA

Mars 2020 spacecraft separation and acquisition of signal

Jul 30, 2020


NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter, were deployed from the Centaur upper stage of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 launch vehicle approximately 57 minutes after being launched from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on 30 July 2020, at 11:50:00 UTC (07:50 EDT).
Credit: NASA/United Launch Alliance

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/hu3tnfY0H-Y

Perseverance rover and its tumbling booster spotted by robotic telescopes

Jul 31, 2020


Gianluca Masi from the Virtual Telescope Project captured imagery of the spacecraft carrying the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuitry Mars helicopter. The booster that launched the mission can be seen tumbling in space. -- NASA: Mars rover Perseverance in 'safe mode' after launch, but should recover

"NASA: Mars rover Perseverance in 'safe mode' after launch, but should recover (https://www.space.com/mars-rover-perseverance-safe-mode-after-launch.html)"

by Meghan Bartels
July 31, 2020

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/keCc0_8QfL8

Atlas V Mars 2020 launch highlights

Jul 31, 2020


A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Mars 2020 mission with the Perseverance rover for NASA, lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 on July 30 at 7:50 a.m. EDT.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/NAkEOHhYuSo

Atlas V Mars 2020 Rocket cam

Aug 1, 2020

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/flcQ9NZa-c8

How will NASA's Perseverance rover search for signs of life on Mars?

Aug 8, 2020


NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover has a suite of instruments that will search for "signs of ancient life: in the Red Planet's Jezero Crater.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/xId6wkCGfWA

NASA's latest Mars rover: will Perseverance find life in 2021? | Science with Sam

Sep 22, 2020


NASA’s latest Mars rover is on its way to the red planet. Its mission: to look for signs of ancient life. Onboard Perseverance is a suite of sophisticated scientific instruments designed to hunt for the signs of past life, including the ability to collect samples to be returned to Earth for study. The Mars 2020 mission will also start to investigate how humans might live there and get back to Earth. And in addition to the rover, the mission includes a helicopter called Ingenuity, which will attempt the first ever flight on another world. Science with Sam takes a closer look.

[Airicist]

Article "Hear Audio From NASA's Perseverance As It Travels Through Deep Space (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/hear-audio-from-nasas-perseverance-as-it-travels-through-deep-space)"

November 18, 2020

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/70rKVFNtV7c

Perseverance Mars Rover pre-landing news conference

Jan 27, 2021


After nearly 300 million miles, our Perseverance rover completes its journey to Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. To reach the surface of the Red Planet, it has to survive the harrowing final phase known as Entry, Descent, and Landing.

On Jan. 27 at 4:30 p.m. EST, find out more about the upcoming landing from the scientists and engineers on the team:

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Lori Glaze, director, Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters
Matt Wallace, Mars 2020 deputy project manager, JPL
Allen Chen, Mars 2020 entry, descent, and landing lead, JPL
Ken Farley, Mars 2020 project scientist, Caltech
Briony Horgan, Mars 2020 science team member, Purdue University

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/gm0b_ijaYMQ

Watch NASA’s Perseverance Rover land on Mars!

Streamed live Feb 18, 2021


Watch an epic journey unfold on Thursday, Feb. 18 as our Perseverance rover lands on Mars. To reach the surface of the Red Planet, the rover has to survive the harrowing final phase known as Entry, Descent, and Landing.

Only then can the rover – the biggest, heaviest, cleanest, and most sophisticated six-wheeled robot ever launched into space – search Jezero Crater for signs of ancient life and collect samples that will eventually be returned to Earth.

Tune in to a live video feed of key landing activities and commentary from Mission Control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/L6dx0pO5MSw

NASA's Perseverance Rover lands successfully on Mars (Highlight reel)

Feb 19, 2021


After a seven-month-long journey, NASA’s Perseverance Rover successfully touched down on the Red Planet on Feb. 18, 2021. Mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California celebrate landing NASA's fifth -- and most ambitious -- rover on Mars.

A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.

Also flying with Perseverance is NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, which will attempt to show controlled, powered flight is possible in the very thin Martian atmosphere.

[Airicist]

"Touchdown! NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Safely Lands on Red Planet (https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8865/touchdown-nasas-mars-perseverance-rover-safely-lands-on-red-planet)"

February 18, 2021

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/4czjS9h4Fpg

Perseverance Rover’s descent and touchdown on Mars (official NASA video)

Feb 22, 2021


NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance mission captured thrilling footage of its rover landing in Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. The real footage in this video was captured by several cameras that are part of the rover's entry, descent, and landing suite. The views include a camera looking down from the spacecraft's descent stage (a kind of rocket-powered jet pack that helps fly the rover to its landing site), a camera on the rover looking up at the descent stage, a camera on the top of the aeroshell (a capsule protecting the rover) looking up at that parachute, and a camera on the bottom of the rover looking down at the Martian surface.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/irbigpycU8w

Panorama of Mars from Perseverance Rover

Feb 22, 2021


This panorama, taken on Feb. 20, 2021, by the Navigation Cameras, or Navcams, aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover, was stitched together from six individual images after they were sent back to Earth.

A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.

Subsequent missions, currently under consideration by NASA in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built and manages operations of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover for NASA.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/gYQwuYZbA6o

See Mars like never before! NASA's Perseverance rover sends new video and images of the Red Planet

Streamed live Feb 22, 2021


NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover safely touched down on the Red Planet on Feb. 18. So what will the robotic scientist "see" on her descent and what will she do next? Join mission experts for update about the rover – the biggest, heaviest, cleanest, and most sophisticated six-wheeled robot ever launched into space – including imagery it captured and its mission to explore Mars.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/bdlfdBiSzKw

Tour the Perseverance Mars Rover’s new home with mission experts

Streamed live Feb 25, 2021


Take a guided tour around the first high-definition 360-degree view of Jezero Crater provided by NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover. Mission experts will walk us through the new Martian terrain, explain why it’s got scientists excited, and answer your questions.
The image shows the crater rim and cliff face of the ancient river delta in the distance. The camera system can reveal details as small as 3 to 5 millimeters across near the rover and 2 to 3 meters across in the distant slopes along the horizon.

Speakers:
• Jim Bell — Mastcam-Z principal investigator, Arizona State University
• Elsa Jensen — Mastcam-Z uplink lead, Malin Space Science Systems
• Kjartan Kinch — Mastcam-Z calibration target lead, Niels Bohr Institute of The University Of Copenhagen

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/FQ3ZDV7ET_g

Perseverance’s first drive on Mars

Mar 5, 2021


NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover took its first ride on Mars, in the Jezero Crater region, on 4 March 2021. Anais Zarifian (Perseverance mobility testbed engineer, JPL) explains the details.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/sVHZvU29fCo

New audio recordings from Perseverance: Martian wind and laser shots on Mars

Mar 10, 2021


NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover recorded wind on Mars and the first acoustic recording of laser impacts on a rock target on Mars.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/xbEAzr6kN5M

Ingenuity deployed on Mars

April 5, 2021


NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover deployed the Ingenuity helicopter in the Jezero crater, Mars. Theodore Tzanetos (Ingenuity Deputy Operations Lead) and MiMi Aung (Mars Helicopter Project Manager) explain the progress so far and the next steps until Ingenuity will perform the first flight on Mars.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/p1KolyCqICI

First flight of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter: live from Mission Control

Streaming Apr 19, 2021


Up, up, and away! The Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter​ is set to make history. It will make the first attempt at powered flight on another planet on Monday, April 19. Don’t miss your chance to watch live with helicopter team in mission control beginning at 6:15 a.m. EDT (10:15 a.m. UTC) as they receive the data and find out if they were successful.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/wMnOo2zcjXA

First video of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter in flight, includes takeoff and landing

Apr 19, 2021


In this video captured by NASA’s Perseverance rover, the agency's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took the first powered, controlled flight on another planet on April 19, 2021.

The rover was parked at “Van Zyl Overlook,” about 211 feet (64.3 meters) away in Mars' Jezero Crater and chronicled the flight operations with its cameras.

These images from the rover’s Mastcam-Z cameras show the helicopter hovering above the Red Planet's surface. During this first flight, the helicopter climbed to an altitude of 10 feet (3 meters), hovered, and then touched back down on the surface of Mars.

Ingenuity is a technology demonstration. The 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) rotorcraft will help determine whether future explorations on Mars could include an aerial perspective.

Perseverance touched down at "Octavia E. Butler Landing" with Ingenuity attached to its belly on Feb. 18, 2021. The helicopter was deployed to the surface on April 3.

"NASA Mars helicopter makes history as first vehicle to fly on another planet (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/nasa-mars-helicopter-makes-history-as-first-vehicle-to-fly-on-another-planet)"
Ingenuity has lifted off the Martian surface and launched a new era of planetary exploration.

by Jay Bennett (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-bennett-8176b067)
April 19, 2021

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/5S0jp_X9_ts

Ingenuity's 2nd Mars flight! See first video & pics

Apr 22, 2021


Ingenuity has successfully completed its 2nd flight on Mars on April 22, 2021. NASA released a black and white image from the helicopter, plus a video preview & imagery captured by the Perseverance rover.

"Mars helicopter Ingenuity flies higher and longer on Red Planet in 2nd flight (https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-second-flight)"

by Mike Wall (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wall-233610aa)
April 22, 2021

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/kNx9hcrUpww

Perseverance Rover's Mastcam-Z captures Ingenuity's third flight

Apr 26, 2021


NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter takes off and lands in this video captured on April 25, 2021, by Mastcam-Z, an imager aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. As expected, the helicopter flew out of its field of vision while completing a flight plan that took it 164 feet (50 meters) downrange of the landing spot. Keep watching, the helicopter will return to stick the landing. Top speed for today's flight was about 2 meters per second, or about 4.5 miles-per-hour.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages this technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA’s Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity’s development.

A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).

Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.

JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.

[Airicist]

Article "NASA's Ingenuity helicopter just failed to lift off from the Martian surface, but it will try again Friday (https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-ingenuity-helicopter-failed-lift-off-ambitious-fourth-flight-2021-4)"

by Morgan McFall-Johnsen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmcfalljohnsen)
April 28, 2021

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/o9pCovBDIYo

Fourth flight a success for NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter

May 1, 2021


NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter successfully completed a fourth, more challenging flight on the Red Planet on April 30, 2021.

Flight Test No. 4 aimed for a longer flight time, longer distance, and more image capturing to begin to demonstrate its ability to serve as a scout on Mars. Ingenuity climbed to an altitude of 16 feet (5 meters) before flying south and back for an 872-foot (266-meter) round trip. In total, Ingenuity was in the air for 117 seconds, another set of records for the helicopter. The fourth flight lifted off from and returned to “Wright Brothers Field” in Jezero Crater, Mars.

The Ingenuity team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California determined that the flight was successful after receiving data from the helicopter and imagery from the Perseverance Mars rover.

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet on April 19, 2021.

Perseverance touched down at Octavia E. Butler Landing with Ingenuity attached to its belly on Feb. 18, 2021. The helicopter was deployed to the surface of Jezero Crater on April 3.

"Ingenuity Completes Its Fourth Flight (https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/status/297/ingenuity-completes-its-fourth-flight)"

by MiMi Aung, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Project Manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
April 30, 2021

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/S486uTXwk7I

NASA Science Live: Mars helicopter and the future of extraterrestrial flight

May 4, 2021


On April 19, the Ingenuity Mars helicopter became the first spacecraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another world. This historic flight on Mars has implications for how we will explore other worlds. Join experts from the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team and upcoming Dragonfly mission to learn about the future of extraterrestrial flight.

Meet the guests:

Mr. Johnny Lam is an Ingenuity Mars Helicopter pilot at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Mr. Lam always had an interest in math and science growing up, and enjoys getting to work on one-of-a-kind missions that are helping us to learn more about the universe. He is an avid frisbee player and has a family that is expecting their second baby soon. Mr. Lam has an exciting vision for how aerial vehicles could be used for exploration in the future. Watch the show to hear more about it!

Mr. Nishant Mehta is the Deputy Lead for the Dragonfly Mobility System at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory. Mr. Mehta grew up surrounded by science fiction through books and television, these stories reinforced the notion that possibilities are endless with science. His favorite part of his job is knowing that he is working on something that will ultimately be on another planet to help humanity understand our universe better than before.

Ms. Jia-Rui Cook is the News Events & Projects Supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and will be your host for this episode. As the child of immigrants, she has always been interested in American history and asking the question, “What does it mean to be American?” Working for NASA’s news and media team means she gets a front-row seat at this history in the making. In her role in the media office, she gets to help figure out how stories about first-of-their-kind accomplishments are told. When it comes to the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, Ms. Cook is amazed that the team could build something so light and powerful at the same time.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/PFbzEM8PzHE

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter fifth flight lands in New Airfield

May 8, 2021


NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter completed its fifth flight with a one-way journey from Wright Brothers Field to a new airfield 423 feet (129 meters) to the south on May 7, 2021.

Ingenuity climbed to a new altitude record of 33 feet (10 meters). The flight is part of the rotorcraft’s transition to its new operations demonstration phase. This phase will focus on investigating how a rotorcraft can be used, and demonstrate products that only a rotorcraft can provide from its aerial vantage point.

Ingenuity became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet on April 19, 2021, from Wright Brothers Field in Jezero Crater, Mars.

[Airicist]

Article "Perseverance: meet the driver who navigates the Mars rover (https://www.inverse.com/science/vandi-verma-nasa-rover-driver)"

by Passant Rabie (https://www.linkedin.com/in/passant-rabie-536b1457)
May 9, 2021

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/pLfh9mR0fLU

Ingenuity completes 8th flight on Mars! See first pics & previous flights

Jun 22, 2021


NASA Mars helicopter Ingenuity conducted its 8th flight on Mars on June 22, 2021. See pics from the flight and replays of the 6th and 7th flights.

"Mars helicopter Ingenuity nails 8th flight on the Red Planet (https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-8th-flight)"
Ingenuity is traveling south to keep up with the Perseverance rover.

by Meghan Bartels (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-bartels-1a10802b)
June 23, 2021

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/8OGhNSaljbQ

Ingenuity Helicopter completed 9th flight on Mars for 625 meters distance

Jul 5, 2021


On July 5, 2021 NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter made 625 meters 9th flight on Mars and Perseverance Rover transmitted latest images from Ingenuity’s onboard camera. Ingenuity traveled ~2,041 ft (625 meters), fly time was ~167 seconds and took color images of the trip from onboard 13-MP camera. Speed was ~5 m/s. Mars Drone has received 2nd software update on Red PlanetNow Ingenuity ready to go ahead Perseverance Rover and send images of those areas where rovers is driving. Now Ingenuity and Perseverance work together to explore Mars for water presence in the past.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/MKpX7dzANK8

Perseverance’s first sample location

Jul 22, 2021


NASA’s Perseverance rover is getting ready to collect its first sample of rock from an area of the Jezero Crater informally called the “Cratered Floor Fractured Rough.” Jennifer Trosper (Perseverance project manager, JPL) explains what the team and the rover have achieved so far. The stones that appear light-colored and flat in this image are informally referred to as the “paver rocks” and will be the first type from which Perseverance will collect a sample for planned return to Earth by subsequent missions.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/8DZl56tS9ko

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover finds a changing landscape

Aug 17, 2021


NASA’s Curiosity rover explores Mount Sharp, a 5-mile-tall (8-kilometer-tall) mountain within the basin of Gale Crater on Mars.

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/3hdxhihS3AI

Perseverance’s first sample of Mars

Sep 5, 2021


NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully drilled and collected its first sample of Mars, from a rock nicknamed “Rochette”, on 1 September 2021. Perseverance will now seal the tube no. 266 and store the sample. The first sample attempt failed on 6 August 2021 because, according to NASA, the rock was “too crumbly”. Perseverance is exploring an area of the Jezero Crater informally called the “Cratered Floor Fractured Rough.”

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/Lyhc8Y0AYdE

RI Seminar: Andrew E. Johnson : The Search for Ancient Life on Mars Began with a Safe Landing

Sep 11, 2021


Abstract: Prior mars rover missions have all landed in flat and smooth regions, but for the Mars 2020 mission, which is seeking signs of ancient life, this was no longer acceptable. To maximize the variety of rock samples that will eventually be returned to earth for analysis, the Perseverance rover needed to land in a geologically diverse region with exposed layers. Terrain relief that is ideal for the science obviously poses significant risks for landing, so a new landing capability called Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) was added to the mission. TRN takes images of the ground during parachute descent and matches them to a map of the landing area made from orbital imagery. These matches provide a position fix, like GPS, that tells the lander where it is relative to a map of known landing hazards. Given its position relative to the hazards the spacecraft can identify a safe and reachable landing site to target during the final rocket powered phase of landing. This talk will describe the scientific goals of the mission, the Terrain Relative Navigation system design and the successful results from landing on February 18th, 2021.

BioSketch: Dr. Andrew E. Johnson is a Principal Robotics Systems Engineer in the Guidance and Control Section of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Since joining JPL in 1997, he has been developing technologies and flight systems for autonomous navigation and mapping during descent to planets moons, comets and asteroids. For the Mars Exploration Rovers, he was lead developer for the Descent Image Motion Estimation System, and on Mars 2020 he led the development of the Lander Vision System that provided surface relative position estimates for Terrain Relative Navigation. He was also the manager of the Mars 2020 Guidance Navigation and Control subsystem which included cruise, EDL and surface mission functions. Andrew received undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Engineering Physics from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University.

[Airicist]

Article "A NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars snapped a photo of the Perseverance rover in the crater below (https://www.businessinsider.com/a-nasa-spacecraft-snapped-a-photo-of-the-perseverance-rover-2021-10)"

by Lily Katzman (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-katzman)
October 7, 2021

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/IAj9tXZyqS8

Mars Sample Return conceptual animation

Oct 12, 2021


Collecting samples from Mars and bringing them back to Earth will be a historic undertaking that started with the launch of NASA’s Perseverance rover on July 30, 2020. Perseverance collected its first rock core samples in September 2021. The rover will leave them on Mars for a future mission to retrieve and return to Earth. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are solidifying concepts for this proposed Mars Sample Return campaign. The current concept includes a lander, a fetch rover, an ascent vehicle to launch the sample container to Martian orbit, and a retrieval spacecraft with a payload for capturing and containing the samples and then sending them back to Earth to land in an unpopulated area.

jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-sample-return-msr (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-sample-return-msr)

[Airicist]

https://youtu.be/GHenFGnixzU

NASA's Perseverance Rover captures the sounds of Mars

Oct 18, 2021


NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover carries two microphones which are directly recording sounds on the Red Planet, including the Ingenuity helicopter and the rover itself at work. For the very first time, these audio recordings offer a new way to experience the planet.

Earth and Mars have different atmospheres, which affects the way sound is heard. Justin Maki, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Nina Lanza, a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, explain some of the notable audio recorded on Mars in this video.

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/aQhElFs5B48

NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover milestones - 2021 Year in review

Dec 28, 2021


What has NASA's Perseverance rover accomplished since landing on the surface of Mars in February 2021? Surface Operations Mission Manager Jessica Samuels reflects on a year filled with groundbreaking discoveries at Jezero Crater and counts up the rover's achievements:

● More than 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometers) driven
● A new record for the longest drive in a Martian day
● Six samples and counting of Martian rock and atmosphere that could eventually be brought to Earth for further study
● More than 50 gigabytes of science data
● More than 100,000 images returned, including two "selfies"
● 18 flights by NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which hitched a ride and coordinates flights with the Perseverance rover

Samuels also explains the next phase of Perseverance’s mission: to explore the delta that formed in Jezero Crater billions of years ago from sediment that an ancient river carried into the lake that once existed in the crater.

A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover is characterizing the planet's geology and past climate and paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. Perseverance is the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/3PsFRYwHP2E

"Flying on Mars” presentation

Feb 18, 2022


AeroVironment’s team of innovative engineers discuss our collaboration with NASA/JPL to design and develop the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.

AeroVironment Inc. (https://pr.ai/showthread.php?t=2376)

avinc.com/about/mars-helicopter (https://www.avinc.com/about/mars-helicopter)

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/8wiOJsKdz04

NASA’s Mars rovers are on the move and bringing the public along (NASA Mars Report March 15, 2022)

Mar 15, 2022


NASA’s rovers are putting their gears in drive on Mars, making discoveries along the way. NASA's Curiosity rover captured some interesting images on Mount Sharp while heading toward an area called Greenheugh Pediment. Over in Jezero Crater, NASA's Perseverance rover and Ingenuity Mars Helicopter are both gearing up for a new destination. Perseverance is wrapping up its first science campaign on the floor of Jezero Crater and, with the help of sophisticated self-driving abilities, will head toward the remnants of a fan-shaped deposit of river sediments known as a delta to collect more samples. Ingenuity is planning updates to its software to improve operational safety.

You can make your own discoveries by visiting the raw image pages for the Curiosity rover mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw-images/ and Perseverance rover mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/raw-images/, which feature unprocessed images coming straight down from the rovers.

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/E3xWCqPBUFU

NASA’s self-driving Perseverance Mars Rover is breaking records

Apr 8, 2022


NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is using its self-driving capabilities as it treks across Jezero Crater seeking signs of ancient life and gathering rock and soil samples for planned return to Earth.

With the help of special 3D glasses, rover drivers on Earth plan routes with specific stops, but
increasingly allow the rover to "take the wheel" and choose how it gets to those stops. Perseverance's auto-navigation system, known as AutoNav, makes 3D maps of the terrain ahead, identifies hazards, and plans a route around any obstacles without additional direction from controllers back on Earth.

Now the rover can drive through these more complex terrains, which helps Perseverance achieve its science goals and break driving records. The rover is traversing from an area near its landing site, "Octavia E. Butler Landing," to an area where an ancient river flowed into a body of water and deposited sediments (known as a delta).

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/g4UEx1dBuw0

Perseverance observes Solar Eclipse on Mars

Apr 21, 2022


NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera system to observe Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, eclipsing the Sun, on 2 April 2022. The eclipse lasted a little over 40 seconds, much shorter than a typical solar eclipse on Earth, as Phobos is about 157 times smaller than Earth’s Moon.

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/thk4Rha-fTk

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captures record flight

May 27, 2022


NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made a record-breaking 25th flight on April 18, 2022. The navigation camera aboard the rotorcraft captured its longest and fastest flight to date on the Red Planet. The helicopter covered 2,310 feet (704 meters) at a max speed of 12 mph (5.5 meters per second).

Footage of the 161.3-second flight was sped up approximately five times. In the video, Ingenuity first reaches an altitude of 33 feet (10 meters). The helicopter then moves southwest and accelerates to 12 mph (5.5 meters per second) in less than three seconds. Ingenuity flies over a group of sand ripples and then by several rock fields. Finally, the helicopter finds a landing spot when relatively flat terrain appears below.

Ingenuity became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet on April 19, 2021, from Wright Brothers Field in Jezero Crater, Mars.

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/uEmpxhgdT6E

New Mars panorama from Curiosity

Jun 22, 2022


NASA’s Curiosity rover captured 10 images with its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on 2 May 2022, the 3,462nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The view shows a sulfate-bearing region ahead of its current location in the Gale Crater. Dark boulders near the center of the panorama are thought to have formed from sand deposited in ancient streams or ponds.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/nVxwzOgZZ7k

Curiosity – A decade on Mars (Live Public Talk)

Streamed live on Jul 22, 2022


Ten years and over 17 miles of driving has taught us there is more to Mars than we could ever imagine. We’ll take a look at highlights from the past decade of this extraordinary mission and see where it’s leading us next.

Speakers:
Dr. Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity Project Scientist, NASA JPL
Keri Bean, Curiosity Rover Planner Deputy Team Lead, NASA JPL

Host:
Nikki Wyrick, Public Services Office, NASA JPL

Co-Host:
Sarah Marcotte, Public Outreach Specialist, NASA JPL

(Original Air Date: July 21, 2022)

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/LwfJQa7vaGw

NASA’s Curiosity rover turns 10: here’s what it’s learned

Aug 5, 2022


NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover set out to answer a big question when it landed on the Red Planet 10 years ago: Could Mars have supported ancient life? Scientists have discovered the answer is yes and have been working to learn more about the planet’s past habitable environment.

In this Mars Report, Curiosity Deputy Project Scientist Abigail Fraeman provides an update on the rover’s capabilities a decade after landing in Gale Crater. Now, Curiosity is heading to an area that may help answer how long ancient life could have persisted on the Red Planet as Mars went through significant changes in the climate.

Read more about where Curiosity is currently exploring. Download a poster celebrating Curiosity’s 10 years on Mars here.

Some of the images in the video include color enhancement that exaggerate small changes in color from place to place in the Martian scene. This makes it easier for the science team to use their everyday experience to interpret the landscape. For instance, the sky on Mars would not actually look blue to a human explorer on the Red Planet, but pinkish.

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/NEtQKvyQw_I

10 years on Mars: The Curiosity rover's journey

Aug 5, 2022


It has been 10 years since the Curiosity rover landed on the surface of Mars. Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists Nina Lanza (principal investigator for ChemCam) and Sam Clegg (co-principal investigator on ChemCam) talk about the purpose and accomplishments of the ongoing Curiosity mission.

'LA-UR-22-28138'

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/9vZVcI1gwEU

NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover investigates geologically rich area (News briefing)

Sep 15, 2022


NASA will host a briefing to provide highlights from the first year-and-a-half of the Perseverance rover’s exploration of Mars.

The rover landed in Mars’ Jezero Crater in February 2021 and is collecting samples of rock and other materials from the Martian surface. Perseverance is investigating the sediment-rich ancient river delta in the Red Planet’s Jezero Crater.

Speakers:
• Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters
• Laurie Leshin, JPL director
• Rick Welch, Perseverance deputy project manager, JPL
• Ken Farley, Perseverance project scientist, Caltech
• Sunanda Sharma, Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) scientist, JPL
• David Shuster, Perseverance returned sample scientist, University of California, Berkeley

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/7aKewWHXXRE

JPL and the Space Age: Landing on Mars

Premiered Dec 23, 2022


In the summer of 2003, two NASA rovers began their journeys to Mars at a time when the Red Planet and Earth were the nearest they had been to each other in 60,000 years. To capitalize on this alignment, the rovers had been built at breakneck speed by teams at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The mission came amid further pressures, from mounting international competition to increasing public scrutiny following the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven. NASA was in great need of a success.

“Landing on Mars” is the story of Opportunity and Spirit surviving a massive solar flare during cruise, the now well-known “six minutes of terror,” and what came close to being a mission-ending software error for the first rover once it was on the ground.

Documentary length: 60 minutes

[Airicist2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giwF-IsfUHg

To Boldly Go Where No Robots Have Gone Before: Exploration with Autonomous Robots (Live Public Talk)

Mar 10, 2023


The Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars in February 2021, has the most advanced autonomous driving capability ever flown to Mars. Having such an advanced capability contributes to the rover's challenging mission to discover signs of life that may have existed on Mars in a distant past. This talk provides an overview on the current research and development efforts on robotics autonomy at JPL, with an emphasis on enhancing the safety, efficiency, and performance of robotic mobility through the applications of risk-aware decision making and machine learning.

Speakers:
Masahiro Ono, Robotic Mobility Engineer, NASA JPL

Host:
Brian White, Office of Communications and Education, NASA JPL

Co-Host:
Rachel Etheredge, Lead Producer – The Studio, NASA JPL

[Airicist2]

Article "Has NASA finally found life on Mars? Perseverance collects key samples of Martian soil (but they won't reach Earth until 2033) (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11932413/Has-NASA-finally-life-Mars-Perseverance-collects-key-samples-Martian-soil.html)"
NASA's Perseverance Rover has collected its 19th sample of Martian material
This is the first to be picked up from the top of the river delta in the Jezero Crater
All samples will be sent to Earth by 2033, and will be studied for signs of life

by Fiona Jackson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-jackson)
April 3, 2023

[Airicist2]

Article "NASA's Mars Ingenuity helicopter breaks records once again (https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/nasas-mars-ingenuity-helicopter-breaks-records-once-again)"
The off-world chopper flew to its highest altitude and speed on its 49th mission on the Red Planet.

by Chris Young (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-young-51735983)
April 5, 2023

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/SLmR3jU2jEk

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter celebrates 50 flights

Apr 14, 2023


NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history when it achieved the first powered, controlled flight on another planet on April 19, 2021. Since then, it has exceeded expectations and most recently executed its 50th flight on Mars. This video highlights Ingenuity’s flights, captured by the Perseverance Rover’s WATSON and Mastcam-Z cameras, as well as Ingenuity’s color Return to Earth (RTE) camera and its black-and-white navigation camera.

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/OIl31PEvKkw

Belva Crater seen by Perseverance

May 19, 2023


Belva Crater, Mars, viewed through 152 individual images taken by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover on 22 April 2023. The large boulder seen in the far right of the mosaic is about 20 metres away from Perseverance and is about 1.5 metres in diameter.

[Airicist2]

Article "Perseverance gets back in contact with Ingenuity (https://www.therobotreport.com/perseverance-gets-back-in-contact-with-ingenuity)"

by Brianna Wessling (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-wessling-55218714b)
July 4, 2023

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/xtDpWGF16po

Curiosity Rover’s Most Challenging Climb Yet (Mars Report - August 2023)

Aug 3, 2023


NASA’s Curiosity rover recently made its most challenging climb on Mars. Curiosity faced a steep, slippery slope on its journey up Mount Sharp, so rover drivers had to come up with a creative detour. After the detour, Curiosity stopped by a new area with intriguing impact craters to explore.

This edition of the Mars Report, set in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars Yard and the Curiosity rover operations area, features rover driver Dane Schoelen explaining how the team found another route with less hazardous terrain. Curiosity will celebrate its 11th anniversary on Mars on Aug. 5.

[Airicist2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIuCEWQUJoM

Perseverance rover captures Martian dust devil traveling at 12 mph!

Sep 29, 2023


NASA's Perseverance rover captured a dust devil on Mars traveling at 12 miles per hour (17 kph) on Aug. 30, 2023 about 2.5 miles away. "The video, which was sped up 20 times, is composed of 21 frames taken four seconds apart," according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The dust devil was in a region called "Thorofare Ridge."

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/V5ac3jktME4?si=t2ophVrZHvYb7iwS

Two views of a high-altitude flight for Ingenuity Mars Helicopter

Nov 22, 2023


As NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter made its 59th flight on Mars – achieving its second highest altitude while taking pictures of this flight – the Perseverance Mars rover was watching. See two perspectives of this 142-second flight that reached an altitude of 66 feet (20 meters). This flight took place on Sept.16, 2023.

In this side-by-side video, you’ll see the perspective from Perseverance on the left, which was captured by the rover’s Mastcam-Z imager from about 180 feet (55 meters) away. On the right, you’ll see the perspective from Ingenuity, which was taken by its downward-pointing Navigation Camera (Navcam). During Flight 59, Ingenuity hovered at different altitudes to check Martian wind patterns. The highest altitude achieved in this flight was 66 feet. At the time, that was a record for the helicopter.

Ingenuity is the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet. It has completed 66 flights since April 19, 2021. That far exceeds its originally planned technology demonstration of up to five flights. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built and manages operations for Ingenuity and Perseverance. Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument on Perseverance, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego.

[Airicist2]

Article "NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter sets new distance record on the Red Planet (https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-distance-record-december-2023)"

by Mike Wall (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wall-233610aa)
January 3, 2024

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/Z3pzmytXZvs?si=B0G2krm5UvRD1jKi

Perseverance's Mastcam-Z Views Ingenuity's 47th takeoff

Jan 6, 2024


NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is seen here at the starting point of its 47th flight on Mars. This video shows the dust initially kicked up by the helicopter's spinning rotors, as well as Ingenuity taking off, hovering, and beginning its 1,444-foot (440-meter) journey to the southwest. The rotorcraft landed – off camera – at Airfield "Iota."

The video was captured by the Mastcam-Z imager aboard NASA's Perseverance rover on March 9, 2023. At the time the video was taken, the rover was about 394 feet (120 meters) from the helicopter.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover. Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which manages the project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System.

[Airicist2]

Article "NASA finds Ingenuity after losing contact with the Mars helicopter (https://www.npr.org/2024/01/20/1225845938/nasa-mars-ingenuity-helicopter-lost)"

by Emma Bowman (https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-bowman)
January 20, 2024

[Airicist2]

Article "Ingenuity, the NASA Helicopter Flying Over Mars, Ends Its Mission (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/science/nasa-ingenuity-helicopter-mars.html)"
The robot flew 72 times, serving as a scouting partner to the Perseverance rover, aiding in the search for evidence that there was once life on the red planet.

by Kenneth Chang (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kchangnyt)
January 25, 2024

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/qMbHE_VXI-8?si=TczwWnI1e9WNyBM_

Legacy of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter

Jan 25, 2024


On April 19, 2021, NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history when it completed the first powered, controlled flight on the Red Planet. It flew for the last time on January 18, 2024.

Designed to be a technology demonstration that would make no more than five test flights in 30 days, the helicopter eventually completed 72 flights in just under 3 years, soaring higher and faster than previously imagined. Ingenuity embarked on a new mission as an operations demonstration, serving as an aerial scout for scientists and rover planners, and for engineers ready to learn more about Perseverance’s landing gear debris.

In its final phase, the helicopter entered a new engineering demonstration phase where it executed experimental flight tests that further expanded the team’s knowledge of the vehicle’s aerodynamic limits.

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/w_Y3rtH_WUg?si=HvymMQpvvV650Um-

The Most Extreme Flights of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter (Mars Report)

Feb 1, 2024


NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter pushed aerodynamic limits during the final months of its mission, setting new records for speed, distance, and altitude. Hear from Ingenuity chief engineer Travis Brown on how the data the team collected could eventually be used in future rotorcraft designs.

Ingenuity was originally designed to make up to five flights – but completed 72 before sustaining rotor-blade damage that rendered it unable to fly. NASA announced the end of the helicopter’s mission on Jan. 25, 2024. The maximum altitude achieved by the helicopter during its mission was 79 feet (24 meters), on Flight 61. The maximum groundspeed was 22.4 mph (10 meters per second), reached during Flights 62, 68, and 69. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built and manages operations for Ingenuity and the Perseverance Mars rover.

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/55eiXN0h3Lg?si=4WdZsKWtsVaJ9s8P

Ingenuity’s Final Airfield - Valinor Hills

Feb 26, 2024


NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured a mosaic of images showing the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter at its final airfield, on 4 February 2024. Ingenuity damaged its rotor blades during landing on its 72nd flight, on 18 January 2024. The Ingenuity team has nicknamed the spot where the helicopter completed its final flight “Valinor Hills” after the fictional location in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels.

[Airicist2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVtiOhf17tg

Mavericks of Mars: The Ingenuity Helicopter Team’s Favorite Flights (Live Public Talk)

Streamed live on Mar 22, 2024


The Ingenuity Helicopter first took to the Martian skies on April 19, 2021, proving for the first time that powered, controlled flight was possible on another world.

Designed as a technology demonstration that would perform up to five experimental test flights over a span of 30 days, the Mars helicopter surpassed expectations – repeatedly – only recently completing its mission after having logged an incredible 72 flights over nearly three years.

Join us for a live talk to learn how Ingenuity’s team used resourcefulness and creativity to transform the rotorcraft from a successful tech demo into a helpful scout for the Perseverance rover, ultimately proving the value of aerial exploration for future interplanetary missions.

Speakers:
Dr. Havard F. Grip, Aerodynamics, Flight Control Lead, and Chief Pilot (Flights 1-37), NASA JPL

Dr. Martin Cacan, Guidance and Control Analyst, Pilot (Flights 15-37), Guidance, Navigation, Control Lead, and Chief Pilot (Flights 38-72), NASA JPL

Host:
Gregory Smith, Office of Communications and Education, NASA JPL

Co-host:
Sarah Marcotte, Mars Public Engagement, NASA JPL

(Original Air Date: March 21, 2024)

[Airicist2]

"NASA’s Curiosity Searches for New Clues About Mars’ Ancient Water (https://www.nasa.gov/missions/mars-science-laboratory/nasas-curiosity-searches-for-new-clues-about-mars-ancient-water)"

March 29, 2024

[Airicist2]

https://youtu.be/U7DFnNimSfw?si=1iummqSvgd1cyIW8

See Ingenuity’s Flight Map: 72 Helicopter Flights on Mars

Apr 19, 2024


NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter became the first vehicle to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet when it took to the Martian skies on April 19, 2021. This video maps the location of the 72 flights that the helicopter took over the course of nearly three years. Ingenuity far surpassed expectations — soaring higher and faster than previously imagined.

Designed to be a technology demonstration that would make no more than five test flights in 30 days, Ingenuity eventually flew more than 14 times farther than the distance expected, and logged more than two hours of total flight time. It flew for the final time on Jan. 18, 2024.