Animation of Mars Helicopter Flight Test

This animation shows a simulation of the response of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to the system identification, or "Sys-ID," process. A Sys-ID test campaign was conducted during two of the helicopter's flights on Mars in December 2023. Sys-ID is a data-driven method for understanding the complex behavior of a system by studying how specific inputs impact the motion of the vehicle. Due to increasingly strong commanded inputs, the helicopter pitches back and forth with increasing frequency, as seen in the simulation. The precise nature of how the vehicle responds to these inputs is analyzed by engineers to better determine Ingenuity's flight characteristics. The helicopter conducted this maneuver while moving forward at about 22 mph (10 meters per second). Animation available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26240