After an automated early termination during a pre-flight test of its rotor system, the NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars will delay its first flight until at least Wednesday, according to a report on Space.com.
During Friday’s system test, the helicopter was checking systems to ensure a safe initial flight. It sped its rotors to near flight speeds and when it was switching its onboard computer from “pre-flight” to “flight” mode, a fail-safe “watchdog” system shut down the system.
“The watchdog timer oversees the command sequence and alerts the system to any potential issues,” NASA officials wrote in the statement. “It helps the system stay safe by not proceeding if an issue is observed and worked as planned.”
The Ingenuity copter would be the first man-made craft to take flight in another planet’s atmosphere. It landed on Mars as part of the Perseverance rover, a car-sized ground explorer that will use images from Ingenuity to direct its travels.