What NASA JPL has learned about Ingenuity’s overwhelming success is fueling new concepts
Since its first flight on April 19, 2021, Ingenuity, the first helicopter flown off Earth, has logged 66 flights and more than 118 minutes of flight time in more than 930 days. It survived a punishingly cold Martian winter, dust on its solar panels, and even an out-of-range flight from Mars rover Perseverance. Given the Little Helicopter That Could was only expected to fly five times during a test period of 30 Martian sols, or days, its overwhelming success is fueling future rotorcraft concepts for Mars.
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) engineers and scientists have learned more than they ever hoped from Ingenuity, and this knowledge is helping develop future rotorcraft on Mars.
Theodore Tzanetos is manager of NASA JPL’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter and Sample Recovery Helicopters for Mars Sample Return programs. He oversees Ingenuity’s flights and directs its future work, part of which is helping collect data for a new helicopter design that will transport samples from the rover to a rocket that will return the samples to Earth.
Join us Nov. 16 at 4 pm eastern (UTC-5) for an extremely rare and out-of-this-world 30-minute HAI@Work webinar where Tzanetos will share the history of Ingenuity, its flight operations now, and how the lessons his team is learning are informing future rotorcraft design.
Whether you are an engineer, an aspiring engineer, a space nut, or simply a fan of Ingenuity, this webinar will leave you in awe of the enduring success of rotorcraft and the professionals who put the first and, potentially, not the last helicopter on Mars.
Our confirmed presenter:
- Theodore Tzanetos, Manager, NASA JPL Ingenuity Mars Helicopter and Sample Recovery Helicopters for Mars Sample Return programs.
In this webinar you’ll learn:
- What Ingenuity has accomplished so far
- How the aircraft overcame obstacles that surprised engineers
- Lessons learned from Ingenuity
- Design concepts for the next Martian helicopter
- And more.
Register today for this free, half-hour webinar, Thursday, Nov. 16, at 4 pm eastern (UTC-5), to learn how Ingenuity’s success is leading NASA JPL’s next steps for rotorcraft on Mars.
