Nathan Williams
@bluebirdadventures.bsky.social
PhD Planetary Scientist & Applied Science Systems Engineer @NASA/JPL-Caltech.
He/Him/His
Personal account; all views are my own.
I think I'm quite ready for another adventure!
Join me, won't you?
He/Him/His
Personal account; all views are my own.
I think I'm quite ready for another adventure!
Join me, won't you?
Here specifically if you really want the deets: maps.app.goo.gl/KP3btPS2ci1Q...
September 23, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Here specifically if you really want the deets: maps.app.goo.gl/KP3btPS2ci1Q...
HQ sent a high priority email asking for feedback “as we conclude [MSR]”. However, we have not been given any direction to actually closeout MSR work.
AFAIK this is notional posturing by HQ to plan to the FY26 PBR until/unless a congressional appropriation bill is passed that says otherwise.
AFAIK this is notional posturing by HQ to plan to the FY26 PBR until/unless a congressional appropriation bill is passed that says otherwise.
August 7, 2025 at 2:33 AM
HQ sent a high priority email asking for feedback “as we conclude [MSR]”. However, we have not been given any direction to actually closeout MSR work.
AFAIK this is notional posturing by HQ to plan to the FY26 PBR until/unless a congressional appropriation bill is passed that says otherwise.
AFAIK this is notional posturing by HQ to plan to the FY26 PBR until/unless a congressional appropriation bill is passed that says otherwise.
More would needed a bigger entry vehicle, but 6 can fit in and reuse the same size / design as Perseverance’s backshell, parachute and heat shield without needing to do a complete redesign so that’s easiest/cheapest/greatest heritage.
July 25, 2025 at 5:07 PM
More would needed a bigger entry vehicle, but 6 can fit in and reuse the same size / design as Perseverance’s backshell, parachute and heat shield without needing to do a complete redesign so that’s easiest/cheapest/greatest heritage.
Plus we know we can land these helis autonomously with good reliability; Ingenuity did it safely 71 times in a row despite more primitive capabilities. So the likelihood that all 6 upgraded helis might fail is extremely low.
July 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Plus we know we can land these helis autonomously with good reliability; Ingenuity did it safely 71 times in a row despite more primitive capabilities. So the likelihood that all 6 upgraded helis might fail is extremely low.
The helis are also easily maneuverable and have active hazard avoidance. Adding hazard avoidance to a big cumbersome lander would be very complex, more mass, and more expensive. And a lander would be a single point failure, whereas mid-air deploy of 6 helis gives a lot of redundancy by itself.
July 25, 2025 at 4:56 PM
The helis are also easily maneuverable and have active hazard avoidance. Adding hazard avoidance to a big cumbersome lander would be very complex, more mass, and more expensive. And a lander would be a single point failure, whereas mid-air deploy of 6 helis gives a lot of redundancy by itself.