This marked the first communication since April 26th when the 1.8kg helicopter went missing during its 52nd flight over the Jezero Crater on Mars.
Josh Anderson, the leader of the Ingenuity team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, stated, “The Jezero Crater that both the rover and helicopter are exploring has challenging terrain, which increases the likelihood of communication disruptions.”
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The rugged terrain prevented Ingenuity from establishing communication with the Perseverance rover. NASA’s Perseverance rover can be seen in the background amidst the rocks and red soil of Mars. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Anderson further added, “We are thrilled to have made contact with Ingenuity, and this journey is confirmed as Flight 52 to Mars.” NASA officials reported that Ingenuity covered a distance of 363 meters on the Martian surface during its 139-second-long 52nd flight. The primary objective of this flight was to capture images for the Perseverance science team, according to NASA officials.
The latest flight data received indicates that Ingenuity is still in good condition. If further tests confirm this, the helicopter could resume its flights in the coming weeks, the team members revealed.
The Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter landed on Mars in February 2021 to conduct sample collection and search for signs of life. The helicopter quickly accomplished its main mission, a five-flight campaign designed to demonstrate the feasibility of aerial exploration on Mars. Subsequently, Ingenuity embarked on an extended mission, serving as a scouting aircraft for Perseverance.
All communication to and from Ingenuity must be routed through Perseverance. The rover disappeared from view of the helicopter after moving behind a hill and did not reappear until June 28th.
Recently, the Ingenuity team has also faced communication challenges. For instance, earlier in April, the helicopter experienced a six-day-long unexpected outage in the darkness, causing concern for NASA’s science team.