A New Home for Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Prototype

Images

Monday, 29 January 2024

The aerial prototype of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is seen at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steve F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, in Chantilly, Va. The prototype, which was the first to demonstrate it was possible to fly in a simulated Mars environment at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), was donated to the museum on Friday.

Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Planetary Positions

27.04.2024 at 17:35:42 UTC

Planet	Longitude
The Sun	07 Tau 56' 23"
The Moon	21 Sag 17' 09"
Mercury	16 Ari 10' 46"
Venus	27 Ari 50' 50"
Mars	27 Pis 45' 05"
Jupiter	23 Tau 21' 41"
Saturn	16 Pis 20' 47"
Uranus	22 Tau 12' 05"
Neptune	28 Pis 49' 46"
Pluto	02 Aqu 05' 52"

Solar Status

BZ Status:	1
Proton Density:	4.97
Proton Speed:	421.9 k/sec
KP Status:	3.33

Type	Apr 27	Apr 28	Apr 29
Active	35%	35%	25%
Minor	25%	20%	10%
Moderate	10%	5%	1%
Strong	1%	1%	1%
Kp Index Prediction
00-03UT	3.67	3.67	2.67
03-06UT	3.00	3.33	2.00
06-09UT	3.00	3.33	2.33
09-12UT	3.00	3.00	2.67
12-15UT	3.00	3.00	2.33
15-18UT	3.33	3.33	2.33
18-21UT	3.33	2.00	2.33
21-00UT	3.67	2.00	2.33
Solar Activity
Solar activity declined to low levels this period with only C-class flare activity observed. Region 3654 (S08W16, Ehi/beta-gamma) remained the largest region on the disk and exhibited moderate development in the intermediate and trailer spots. Region 3657 (S15W25, Bxo/beta) reemerged with a few rudimentary spots and new Region 3660 (N10E71, Axx/alpha) was numbered. The remaining regions were either stable or in decay. No Earth-directed CMEs were detected in available imagery.
Solar Wind
The solar wind environment was enhanced due to likely CME activity early in the period, followed by the onset of positive polarity CH HSS influences. Total field strength reached a peak of 17 nT and the Bz component was sustained southward through the first half of the period, with a peak deflection of -11 nT observed. During the latter half of the period, the Bz component rotated northward with only brief southward deflections observed. Solar wind speeds were steady between 300-350 km/s until 27/0230 UTC, when speed values slowly increased to a period high of around 550 km/s. The phi angle transitioned from negative to positive at 26/1502 UTC.
Energetic Particle
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux was at normal to moderate levels and the greater than 10 MeV proton flux was steady at background levels.

A New Home for Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Prototype

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