NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Permanently grounded due to Blade damage.

[WKTaylor]

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter suffered a hard landing on its 72nd flight. It sent back this image of the shadow of one of its damaged rotor blades. Planned to make just five flights, Ingenuity far exceeded the most optimistic expectations.

Photo NASA/JPL-Caltech

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/nasas-ingenuity-mars-copter-ends-a-remarkable-run/

NASA Administrator's Statement...

https://youtu.be/hW5akI5Rnyg

Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation, Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", HBA forum]
o Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand everything." -Anton Chekhov

 

[rb1957]

depending on what isn't shown (!?) maybe it isn't "game over", but maybe NASA say "we've far exceeded our expectations and will park the copter".

"Hoffen wir mal, dass alles gut geht !"
General Paulus, Nov 1942, outside Stalingrad after the launch of Operation Uranus.

 

[WKTaylor]

RB...

Look carefully at the shadow of the blade-tip in the image above. Broken-off bade-tip... 1-of-4... means its lucky to have 'landed upright'... instead of rolling-over... to take this image. Mission REALLY is over.

I suspect [hope] that the rover will be re-directed-over to Ingenuity for close-up 'engineering images'. AND who knows, it might find the blade tip by 'looking around' the landing site. Unclear as to which blade-pair was actually damaged: lower? upper? NOTE: Close-up images MIGHT also detect signs of damage on the 'other blades'... or not. OH, and then, the rover will depart, leaving Ingenuity to its distant, permanent, 'lonesomeness'.

Hmmm... SWAG... If just the underside of the hollow-blade was severed, then the tip may have remained in-place[flapping?] due to centrifugal loads and the upper skin... then folded upwards/over the break, due to residual 'lift-forces'... on rotor shutdown... or not. Failed propeller blades follow the laws of physics... in very odd ways.

Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation, Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", HBA forum]
o Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand everything." -Anton Chekhov

 

[GregLocock]

According to this it's lost 25% of one blade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYRultxnu-k

around 8m13s At 2000rpm+ there would be plenty of time to wreck both tips on that rotor.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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[Sparweb]

Congratulations to the Ingenuity team for what they accomplished!

 

[btrueblood]

Aw, darn. Still, a good run for the bird, and kudos to design and ops team.

 

[WKTaylor]

Panel discussion regarding the Mars Ingenuity Helo... now that the mission is completed [due to blade damage].

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

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

I'm sure the Chi-Comm's are interested in this discussion/technology, also.

Regards, Wil Taylor
o Trust - But Verify!
o For those who believe, no proof is required; for those who cannot believe, no proof is possible. [variation, Stuart Chase]
o Unfortunately, in science what You 'believe' is irrelevant. ["Orion", HBA forum]
o Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand everything." -Anton Chekhov