Based on data from the Ingenuity helicopter that arrived late Friday night, NASA chose to reschedule the first experimental flight to no earlier than April 14.
On Friday, during a high-speed rotor rotation test, the command sequence controlling the test ended early due to the “watchdog” timer. This occurred during an attempt to transition the flight computer from “Pre-Flight” mode to “Flight” mode. The helicopter is safe and sound and has reported its full telemetry to Earth.
The “watchdog” timer oversees the sequence of commands and alerts the system to potential problems. The “watchdog” timer is a safety system that stops all flight procedures if a problem is detected and has worked as planned.
The helicopter team is reviewing telemetry to diagnose and understand the problem. Subsequently, the test will be rescheduled to full speed.
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