Author Topic: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars  (Read 3155 times)

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Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
on: April 20, 2021, 15:43:41 PM
It took off, hovered, turned around a bit, hovered some more, and landed. Aerobatically not the most impressive flight ever, but it's a start.

Still nearly 3 times what the Wright brothers achieved on first flight.

Took 4 hours to get the first batch of data back...


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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #1 on: April 20, 2021, 17:33:39 PM
I don't know what I'm more impressed with, the fact that we can remote pilot a helicopter drone on another planet or the fact that we filmed it at the same damn time. :rock: :yarr:

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #2 on: April 21, 2021, 05:19:44 AM
I don't know what I'm more impressed with, the fact that we can remote pilot a helicopter drone on another planet or the fact that we filmed it at the same damn time. :rock: :yarr:


Pre-programmed a sequence of events and then get the results more than remote pilot :) To much LAG :)


But in terms of it actually flying...
Previous missions knowing that the atmosphere conditions are, gravity etc purley data and then using data, math and science to work out how to build a device that can fly in those conditions on another planet millions of miles away -  Mind Blown, all doable but the work - WOW!


Video:
Again the internet idiots moaning about the quality but a COLOUR video, not pictures filming an event and then beaming it over to us to see - HOLY CRAP!

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #3 on: April 21, 2021, 09:01:14 AM
Pre-programmed a sequence of events and then get the results more than remote pilot :) To much LAG :)

I get what you're saying but its the remote part that is amazing. If they'd sent it up with a pre-programmed sequence it wouldn't be as impressive, the fact that we can plan and send it new flight instructions is incredible.

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #4 on: April 21, 2021, 12:15:41 PM
Pre-programmed a sequence of events and then get the results more than remote pilot :) To much LAG :)

I get what you're saying but its the remote part that is amazing. If they'd sent it up with a pre-programmed sequence it wouldn't be as impressive, the fact that we can plan and send it new flight instructions is incredible.

Everything was done well before the actual event. When they were confident in it the code was uploaded and the actions started. Ingenuity is effectively a self controlled drone, which we have had for some time now.

The only thing different is the fact it was on Mars rather than Earth. Most of the data is transmitted back via satellite and only when in the right position. Piloting, imagine trying to fly a flight simulator where you cannot see the screen. They show you how badly you did 4 hours later. Isn't going to work.

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #5 on: April 21, 2021, 13:10:22 PM
You're missing my point. It's still remarkable and they will still obviously tweak the instructions or calibrate further based on real data now, the fact that it is possible to do this and send it to Mars to be relayed to the drone is what is remarkable, whatever semantics you want to name it with. I wasn't literally suggesting they were piloting in real time but "Pre-programmed a sequence of events for a self controlled drone" isn't very snappy to say is it vs "remote pilot" :lol:

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #6 on: April 22, 2021, 17:08:23 PM
My original point, it is so every day, we have huge flocks of automated drones doing massive shows. Nothing here is technically new - yet it is also revolutionary and changes a great deal for Mars exploration, and potentially other planets.

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #7 on: April 26, 2021, 07:02:59 AM
My original point, it is so every day, we have huge flocks of automated drones doing massive shows. Nothing here is technically new - yet it is also revolutionary and changes a great deal for Mars exploration, and potentially other planets.


In terms of commands on a general scope - No.
BUT also YES.


It no DJI drone but it has a camera to monitor ground distance and has some processing to know where it is and where it is landing. If it sees a rock it will adjust to land flat so it just does not land and be screwed.
Flying is also very new of course but it will mean that they can launch drones with flight plans to do all sorts of things.


With that said I get Nige's point but the drone just like other land based stuff in previous missions and the current one - As you noted they have all sent like "Go here" in beemed over etc.

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #8 on: April 27, 2021, 11:11:39 AM
They land in the same area where they took off, three times so far, so they know that it's flat.

I'm wondering if they have underestimated what they can do in the time available, seems they are well ahead of the original estimate to me. Might not manage to go through a Mars winter but it could take it further than 5 flights.

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #9 on: April 28, 2021, 02:47:29 AM
They land in the same area where they took off, three times so far, so they know that it's flat.

I'm wondering if they have underestimated what they can do in the time available, seems they are well ahead of the original estimate to me. Might not manage to go through a Mars winter but it could take it further than 5 flights.
True but they going to do more and likely push to crash it but it has basic land boulder avoidance coded.
They always under estimate, never hope and over engineer. You have to with this sort of thing. Plus the more complex something is the more it can break.


They know what the atmosphere is but no one has flown anything in that to this date so it's a first time. I can imagine all the data from this they get they will look to do a full smart drone that can fly around taking pictures/video on it's own next time.

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #10 on: April 28, 2021, 11:27:11 AM
They land in the same area where they took off, three times so far, so they know that it's flat.

I'm wondering if they have underestimated what they can do in the time available, seems they are well ahead of the original estimate to me. Might not manage to go through a Mars winter but it could take it further than 5 flights.
True but they going to do more and likely push to crash it but it has basic land boulder avoidance coded.
They always under estimate, never hope and over engineer. You have to with this sort of thing. Plus the more complex something is the more it can break.


They know what the atmosphere is but no one has flown anything in that to this date so it's a first time. I can imagine all the data from this they get they will look to do a full smart drone that can fly around taking pictures/video on it's own next time.

The basic flight achievement was done first attempt, but there is at least one more important issue here, the fact that they are using commercially produced normal electronics.

It's actually got a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, the same chip as a Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014). That gives it more CPU capability than any previous NASA probe and probably more than all of them combined. It also opens the option for new probes to carry mobile phone chips that are far more efficient and capable.

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #11 on: April 29, 2021, 01:32:21 AM
They land in the same area where they took off, three times so far, so they know that it's flat.

I'm wondering if they have underestimated what they can do in the time available, seems they are well ahead of the original estimate to me. Might not manage to go through a Mars winter but it could take it further than 5 flights.
True but they going to do more and likely push to crash it but it has basic land boulder avoidance coded.
They always under estimate, never hope and over engineer. You have to with this sort of thing. Plus the more complex something is the more it can break.


They know what the atmosphere is but no one has flown anything in that to this date so it's a first time. I can imagine all the data from this they get they will look to do a full smart drone that can fly around taking pictures/video on it's own next time.

The basic flight achievement was done first attempt, but there is at least one more important issue here, the fact that they are using commercially produced normal electronics.

It's actually got a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, the same chip as a Samsung Galaxy S5 (2014). That gives it more CPU capability than any previous NASA probe and probably more than all of them combined. It also opens the option for new probes to carry mobile phone chips that are far more efficient and capable.


For the next mission I really think they should engage a company like DJI to work on the next drone, lean on their knowledge and software and help DJI with the data about Mars and get something wizzing around on its own.

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #12 on: April 29, 2021, 12:39:37 PM
For the next mission I really think they should engage a company like DJI to work on the next drone, lean on their knowledge and software and help DJI with the data about Mars and get something wizzing around on its own.

That would certainly be interesting. They are already working on other drones like Dragonfly, intended to go to Titan.That would be another challenge as there isn't much light and it's also a cold environment. Would also be nice to have a proper data transmission network through the solar system. A ring of sats would enable constant data rather than having to wait.

Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #13 on: April 29, 2021, 18:41:51 PM
For the next mission I really think they should engage a company like DJI to work on the next drone, lean on their knowledge and software and help DJI with the data about Mars and get something wizzing around on its own.

LOL, they landed the rover on Mars from 302M km away another planet in a ~25km diameter circle, they don't need DJI.

They have far superior knowledge - the rover was autonomously guided by the onboard thrusters to the spot it landed using it's cameras to compare to orbital maps to avoid landing obstacles.

The current drone was only a proof of concept and only designed primarily for a small number of proof of concept flights, however is capable of flying to specifically requested locations, the main limitation I expect is flight time due to battery capacity, you either put the brains in the drone and increase power consumption, offload some processing to the rover for real time autonomy or command from earth.

This is a pretty cool read : https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8933/with-goals-met-nasa-to-push-envelope-with-ingenuity-mars-helicopter/

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Re: Ingenuity, first flight on Mars
Reply #14 on: April 30, 2021, 06:59:18 AM
I did LOL at the DJI thing too actually. This really is an amazing achievement but sooooo easy to downplay because we are so spoilt by technology now. Its like comparing an Anki Vector robot to Boston Dynamics. They had a vacuum chamber about 1m cubed filled with mostly carbon dioxide to simulate the Martian atmosphere, so they couldn't even test fly it properly.
Last Edit: April 30, 2021, 07:06:37 AM by Clock'd 0Ne #187;

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