Decades of room
If a critical electrical component of Ingenuity fails in the future, causing data collection to cease, or if the helicopter eventually loses power due to dust accumulating on its solar panel, any information collected by Ingenuity will remain stored on board. The team calculated that Ingenuity's memory could hold the equivalent of 20 years' worth of everyday data.
“When humanity returns to visit the Valinor Hills – either with a rover, a new aircraft, or future astronauts – Ingenuity will be waiting with its last gift of data, a final testament to why we dare great things,” said Teddy Tzanitos, Ingenuity Project Manager. . From the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “Thank you, Ingenuity, for inspiring a small group of people to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds at the frontier of space.”
Tzanetos and other Ingenuity graduates are currently researching how future Martian helicopters could be used – including Mars science helicopter concept – Could benefit exploration of the Red Planet and beyond.
More about the mission
The Ingenuity Mars helicopter was built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which also manages the NASA headquarters project. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided critical flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc. also provided Qualcomm and SolAero assisted with the design and key components of the vehicle. Lockheed Space designed and manufactured Mars helicopter delivery system. At NASA Headquarters, Dave Lavery is the executive director of the Ingenuity Mars helicopter program.
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“Beer fan. Travel specialist. Amateur alcohol scholar. Bacon trailblazer. Music fanatic.”