# Perseverance rover on Mars (was: Mars lander set for Feb 18th landing) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068 "2021-02-02T17:56:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/221 "2021-04-26T14:04:00Z")
Third flight, 50 meters (I think it is 50 meters and then back for a total of 100) horizontal movement. Some color pics from Ingenuity as well: > **[NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Flies Faster, Farther on Third Flight – NASA...](https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8930/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-flies-faster-farther-on-third-flight/)** > > The craft’s April 25 flight was conducted at speeds and distances beyond what had ever been previously demonstrated, even in testing on Earth. Brian ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/222 "2021-04-29T19:59:19Z")
Ingenuity takes a pic of Percy from the air: > **[Ingenuity Spots Perseverance From the Air – NASA Mars Exploration](https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/25862/ingenuity-spots-perseverance-from-the-air/)** > > NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is visible in the upper left corner of this image the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took during its third flight, on April 25, 2021. The helicopter was flying at an altitude of 16 feet (5 meters) and roughly 279... Brian There will be a press conference Friday at 12:30 p.m. EDT (9:30 a.m. PDT) on next steps. Brian ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/223 "2021-04-30T11:10:20Z")
Fourth flight rescheduled for today. News conference moved to 11:30 a.m. EDT > **[Mars Helicopter's Flight Four Rescheduled - NASA](https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/status/296/mars-helicopters-flight-four-rescheduled/)** > > Data received from the Mars Ingenuity helicopter on Thursday morning shows the helicopter did not execute its planned fourth flight as scheduled. Brian ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/224 "2021-04-30T17:07:54Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I wonder if the thin atmosphere makes it easier in a way, being much less affected by wind. Low air density could mean less effect from gusts. But every airborne vehicle in unaccelerated flight is 100% affected by wind. Presumably, NASA monitors the wind and will fly Ingenuity only in favorable conditions. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/225 "2021-04-30T18:54:30Z")
Fourth flight successful – it took lots of pix (which aren’t available yet) > **[Ingenuity Completes Its Fourth Flight - NASA](https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/status/297/ingenuity-completes-its-fourth-flight/)** > > Ingenuity successfully completed its fourth flight today, and we couldn’t be happier. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/226 "2021-04-30T20:15:20Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > …I’ve read that wind on Mars is usually not much of an issue. Even if the velocity is high, the low pressure means the forces applied by the wind are real low. The famous “dust storms” are composed of the finest of fine particles that have almost Brownian motion in the atmosphere; gravity almost doesn’t affect them. Which is why the storms are so long-lasting. Yes, that was far and away the most non-factual thing about the book and movie _The Martian_. Dust storms there are by no means strong (or dramatic) enough to pose a blow-over risk to humans or spacecraft. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/227 "2021-04-30T20:27:26Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yes, that was far and away the most non-factual thing about the book and movie _The Martian_ . Dust storms there are by no means strong (or dramatic) enough to pose a blow-over risk to humans or spacecraft I understand Andy Weir knew this at the time of writing it, but needed some kind of near disaster and apparently couldn’t think of another. He’s since regretted using it. Note that at a later time in the book, when Watney was travelling in a solar powered vehicle, he almost drives through a dust storm and the only bad effect of it would be a too severe reduction in the power his solar panels would get. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/228 "2021-04-30T20:30:42Z")
That was my only dislike about _The Martian_, he changed the rules of how storms on Mars worked midway through the book. I don’t mind a fanciful Monster Dust StormTM, as long as you’re consistent. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2021, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/229 "2021-04-30T21:03:00Z")
The Martian was set in a slightly different universe in which Mars had enough atmospheric density for those winds to actually be dangerous. At least, that’s my headcanon. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/230 "2021-05-01T04:23:51Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Fourth flight successful – it took lots of pix (which aren’t available yet) And the mission has been extended: > **[NASA extends Mars helicopter Ingenuity's high-flying mission on Red Planet](https://www.space.com/nasa-mars-helicopter-ingenuity-mission-extended)** > > Ingenuity has 30 extra Martian days to fly. It’s now an [operations demonstrator](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-to-begin-new-demonstration-phase) instead of just a technology demonstrator, and they’ll be using it for actual scouting missions. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2021, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/231 "2021-05-03T16:00:23Z")
Series of shadow pics in this article about the new mission: > **[NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter to Begin New Demonstration Phase – NASA Mars...](https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8936/nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-to-begin-new-demonstration-phase/)** > > The Red Planet rotorcraft will shift focus from proving flight is possible on Mars to demonstrating flight operations that future aerial craft could utilize. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/232 "2021-05-03T18:35:57Z")
I can’t get my head around how this video was made. If it was taken by a camera on the helicopter (as claimed in the caption which I’ve quoted below) why does the shadow track across the landscape? And what’s the deal with the way the landscape sort of tilts back at the very end of the animation? I suspect these two things are linked but I cannot work it out. [![](https://mars.nasa.gov/system/resources/detail_files/25868_flt3_nav_vert-cropped.gif) ](https://mars.nasa.gov/system/resources/detail_files/25868_flt3_nav_vert-cropped.gif) > **Ingenuity’s Shadow During Third Flight:** The shadow of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter can be seen in these images taken by its black-and-white navigation camera during its third flight on April 25, 2021. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. [Full image and caption ›](https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/25868) ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/233 "2021-05-03T18:42:09Z")
Maybe they stabilized the image perspective, or something like that, to show that the shadow is moving across the landscape, rather than showing the shadow steady and the landscape moving. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2021, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/234 "2021-05-03T18:50:34Z")
Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. We’re only seeing a small subset of the full video. They cropped out a small portion corresponding to the landscape we see. It distorts a bit because the perspective is changing and it is on different parts of the lens. I think they must have moved it across nearly the whole frame: at the start of the animation, the bottom edge is blurred–as if it were at the edge of the lens, where the distortions are the worst–and at the end of the animation, it’s the top edge that’s blurred. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2021, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/235 "2021-05-03T18:53:05Z")
From the full caption: The images are aligned entirely using Ingenuity’s on-board position tracking system highlighting the stability and accuracy of the navigation algorithm. The GIF has been cropped to fill the frame, and the contrast has been increased so it’s easier to see; the frame rate has also been sped up. So the pictures are aligned against the terrain. Brian ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/236 "2021-05-07T19:04:11Z")
Video and Audio (I couldn’t hear anything, will try different audio system later) of 4th flight: > **[NASA's Perseverance Captures Video, Audio of Fourth Ingenuity Flight – NASA...](https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8941/nasas-perseverance-captures-video-audio-of-fourth-ingenuity-flight/)** > > Sounds of the Mars Helicopter’s whirring rotors add another new dimension to the historic project. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/237 "2021-05-08T19:18:06Z")
Cool - thanks! ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/238 "2021-05-10T20:02:15Z")
Ingenuity 5th flight, this time it landed in a different spot than it it took off from: > **[NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Completes First One-Way Trip – NASA Mars...](https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8942/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-completes-first-one-way-trip/)** > > The Red Planet rotorcraft headed south in support of furthering research into the potential use of aerial scouts on Mars in the future. Brian ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/239 "2021-05-18T14:13:39Z")
Robotic arm starts doing science-y stuff: > **[Perseverance's Robotic Arm Starts Conducting Science – NASA Mars Exploration](https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8944/perseverances-robotic-arm-starts-conducting-science/)** > > NASA’s newest Mars rover is beginning to study the floor of an ancient crater that once held a lake. Ingenuity in 3D: > **[Seeing NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Fly in 3D – NASA Mars Exploration](https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8946/seeing-nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-fly-in-3d/)** > > A new video of the helicopter’s third flight gives viewers the sensation of standing on the Red Planet and seeing the action firsthand. Brian ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/240 "2021-05-21T22:22:41Z")
Rover update (Percy + Curiosity). Link includes transcript > **[Mars Report: Update on NASA’s Perseverance Rover & Curiosity Rover (May...](https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/videos/?v=481)** > > NASA's Perseverance rover has been on the surface of Mars since February of 2021, joining NASA's Curiosity rover, which has been studying the Red Planet since 2012. There is also a longer video here on space photography (I have not watched it) > **[Watch Online: TV Schedule - NASA](https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/timeline/landing/watch-online/)** > > TV schedule, upcoming program information about NASA's Mars Perseverance rover. Brian [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068.md?page=13)