Free Astronomy Magazine

JULY-AUGUST 2022 11 ASTRO PUBLISHING ago,” exactly the conditions ripe for the exploration of chemical and mineral signatures of anything that might have existed within the an- cient river delta. Flights 9 (July 5, 2021) through 18 (December 15, 2021) continued the survey of Séítah and established Air- fields F through L, with the addi- tional re-landing of Ingenuity to some prior Airfield locations in its travels. Flight 19 was not attempted until February 8, 2022 due to a sig- nificant dust storm at Jezero Crater that reduced incoming sunlight by 18% and lowered the local air den- sity by 7%, affecting both the flight conditions and the ability of Inge- nuity to recharge itself. The long wait to flight 19 was to provide ample time for clearing sensors and solar panels (both naturally in the thin Martian air and by performing mechanical tests to shake dust off of the copter), returning Ingenuity to its pre-storm charging status. Flights 19 and 20 returned Ingenu- ity to near Wright Brothers Field, placing it for subsequent flights around the Jezero Crater river delta while Percy traversed a longer path on the ground. Flights 21 through 29 were contin- ued scouting missions of the river delta, during which Flight 25 on April 8 th achieved both the farthest distance covered (709 meters) and the fastest speed (5.5 m/s) reached during the mission. Flight 26 on April 19 th was noteworthy for the remarkable color photo of the entry-descent-landing (EDL) hard- ware that brought Percy and Ginny safely to the Martian surface. The wreckage snapshot included the Perseverance backshell landing cap- sule and parachute. In both its capabilities and its design for extended use in such a hostile environment, Ingenuity is both a technical and scientific marvel. That said, all missions come with obsta- cles that require address, reconfigu- ration, and documentation to spare