NASA helicopter attempts fourth flight on Mars on Friday after previous failure

NASA’s Ingenuity failed to take off a fourth time after three successful flights to Mars. On Friday, NASA will try again. It is not yet known why the helicopter was unable to make its scheduled flight, but NASA is citing a timer problem.

Ingenuity should have stayed in the air longer and faster on its fourth flight than on previous flights, but the rotorcraft failed to break free from the Martian surface. The helicopter failed to enter flight mode but is safe and in good condition, NASA said. Later on Friday, the space agency will make another attempt.

NASA already took into account that not all Ingenuity flights could be successfully deployed. A timer problem was discovered last month and despite a fix in place, there is a 15 percent chance that the helicopter will not enter flight mode. That problem does not stand in the way of further flights. It is not yet certain that the failed flight was due to the problem of the timer expiration.

On its fourth flight, Ingenuity must first ascend to a height of five meters and then travel 84 meters over rocks and craters. Every 1.2 meters, the helicopter’s downward-facing camera takes pictures of the Martian surface. The flight time would be 117 seconds, compared to 80 seconds for the third flight, and the maximum speed should be 3.5 meters per second. On flight three it was 2 meters per second.