Skip Navigation
menu

Images

Ingenuity's Upper Swashplate Assembly

Labels of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter's rotor blade, pitch link, servo, and swashplate.

September 28, 2021

The upper swashplate of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter controls the pitch of the upper rotor blades as they rotate and is critical to stable, controlled flight. The swashplate is driven by three small servo motors.

Credits

NASA/JPL-Caltech

ENLARGE

Related

The aeroshell containing NASA’s Perseverance rover guides itself towards the Martian surface as it descends through the atmosphere in this illustration. Hundreds of critical events must execute per...
More
In this illustration, the aeroshell containing NASA’s Perseverance rover guides itself towards the Martian surface
Perseverance Guiding Itself Towards the Surface (Illustration)
An illustration of NASA’s Perseverance rover landing on Mars. Hundreds of critical events must execute perfectly and exactly on time for the rover to land safely on Feb. 18, 2021.
More
rover landing on Mars with orange background
Perseverance Rover Touchdown (Illustration)
This drill is a duplicate of the one aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. It was used in a test campaign to learn how crumbly rocks respond to the drill. 
More
This drill is a duplicate of the one aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. It was used in a test campaign to learn how crumbly rocks respond to the drill.
Close up of a Perseverance Like Drill
Members of the public see models of the Perseverance Mars rover and Ingenuity Mars Helicopter at the Science Center of Iowa. The models and NASA Mars team members are on a road trip at several loca...
More
Overhead view of members of the public looking at a life-size model of NASA's Perseverance rover at the Science Center of Iowa.
Public Meets Perseverance Rover Model
Meet two of the Martian samples that have been collected and are awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. As of early August 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has col...
More
Meet two of the Martian samples that have been collected and are awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign.
Meet the Mars Samples: Atmo Mountain and Crosswind Lake (Samples 17 and 18)
This dust and radiation sensor is part of the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer suite and is mounted on the deck of the Perseverance rover. 
More
This sensor, mounted on the deck of the Perseverance rover, measures how much sunlight is scattered by dust in the Mars atmosphere.
MEDA's Radiation and Dust Sensor
Buzz Aldrin, an Apollo 11 astronaut who walked on the moon, makes a holographic appearance in 'Destination: Mars,' a mixed-reality tour of a part of Mars that NASA's Curiosity rover has explored.
More
Buzz Aldrin, an Apollo 11 astronaut who walked on the moon, makes a holographic appearance in 'Destination: Mars,' a mixed-reality tour of a part of Mars that NASA's Curiosity rover has explored.
Buzz Aldrin
This artist's rendition depicts NASA's Mars 2020 rover studying its surroundings. 
More
NASA's Mars 2020 Rover Artist's Concept #6
NASA's Mars 2020 Rover Artist's Concept #6
NASA’s Perseverance rover captured this portrait of its recently completed sample depot using its Mastcam-Z camera on Jan. 31, 2023, the 693rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Containing 10 sam...
More
NASA’s Perseverance rover captured this portrait of its recently completed sample depot using its Mastcam-Z camera on Jan. 31, 2023, the 693rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Perseverance's Portrait of the Sample Depot
Students Alex Mather, at left, and Vaneeza Rupani, stand near the countdown clock at the News Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 28, 2020.
More
Students Alex Mather, at left, and Vaneeza Rupani at KSC.
Naming Contest Winners at Kennedy Space Center
Meet one of the Martian samples that has been collected and is awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. As of late July 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has collecte...
More
Meet one of the Martian samples that has been collected and is awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign.
Meet the Mars Samples: Melyn (Sample 19)
A portion of a cored-rock sample is ejected from the rotary percussive drill on NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. The imagery was collected by the rover’s Mastcam-Z instrument on Jan. 15, 2022.
More
A portion of a cored-rock sample is ejected from the rotary percussive drill on NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. The imagery was collected by the rover’s Mastcam-Z instrument on Jan. 15, 2022.
Perseverance Expels Rock Fragments
After the Mastcam-Z imager aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover captured Ingenuity’s third flight on April 25, the frames of the video that was stitched together were then reprojected to optimize viewi...
More
After the Mastcam-Z imager aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover captured Ingenuity’s third flight on April 25, the frames of the video that was stitched together were then reprojected to optimize viewing in an anaglyph, or an image seen in 3D when seen through color-filtered glasses.
Ingenuity Flies in 3D
Listen closely to new sounds from Mars recorded by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover, including puffs and pings from a rover tool, light Martian wind, the whirring of the agency's Ingenuity Mars Helic...
More
Listen closely to new sounds from Mars recorded by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover, including puffs and pings from a rover tool, light Martian wind, the whirring of the agency's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, and laser zaps.
NASA's Perseverance Rover Captures Puff, Whir, Zap Sounds from Mars
Vaneeza Rupani (inset), a junior at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport, Alabama, came up with the name Ingenuity for NASA's Mars Helicopter (an artist's impression of which is seen here) an...
More
Vaneeza Rupani and the Mars Helicopter
High School Junior Names NASA's Mars Helicopter
The photo was taken on March 16, 2020 in a cleanroom at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during final preparation for launch.
More
Hand cleaning plate with Mars rover illustrations
Rover Evolution Plate Getting Ready for Mars
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is visible in the upper left corner of this image the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took during its third flight, on April 25, 2021. The helicopter was flying at...
More
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is visible in the upper left corner of this image the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took during its third flight, on April 25, 2021. The helicopter was flying at an altitude of 16 feet (5 meters) and roughly 279 feet (85 meters) from the rover at the time.
Ingenuity Spots Perseverance From the Air
Perseverance carries several microphones, which will pick up the sound of Martian wind, rover activities, and in the case of SuperCam, the sound of rock being vaporized.
More
Perseverance carries several microphones, which will pick up the sound of Martian wind, rover activities, and in the case of SuperCam, the sound of rock being vaporized.
SuperCam Can Hear Hardness
Members of NASA’s Perseverance rover team react in Mission Control after receiving confirmation the spacecraft successfully touched down on Mars, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, at NASA's Jet Propulsion L...
More
Members of NASA’s Perseverance rover team react as they hear Perseverance is safe on the ground
Team Cheers After Perseverance Landing
Mars 2020 Lift Activities in Payload Hazardous Serviceing Facility (PHSF) at the Kennedy Space Center.
More
Mars 2020 Lift Activities in Payload Hazardous Serviceing Facility (PHSF) at the Kennedy Space Center.
Mars 2020 Lift Activities in PHSF
A proposed helicopter could triple the distances that Mars rovers can drive in a Martian day and help pinpoint interesting targets for study.
More
A proposed helicopter could triple the distances that Mars rovers can drive in a Martian day and help pinpoint interesting targets for study.
Helicopter Could be 'Scout' for Mars Rovers
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover looks out at an expanse of boulders on the landscape in front of a location nicknamed “Santa Cruz” on Feb. 16, 2022, the 353rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission in ...
More
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover looks out at an expanse of boulders on the landscape in front of a location nicknamed “Santa Cruz” on Feb. 16, 2022, the 353rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission in this panorama made of 24 images taken by the rover’s Mastcam-Z.
Perseverance Looks Toward 'Santa Cruz'
This illustration shows the events that occur in the final minutes of the nearly seven-month journey that NASA’s Perseverance rover takes to Mars.
More
Timeline of rover descent on Mars
Perseverance Rover's Entry, Descent and Landing Profile
The amount and quality of sound received by a copy of SuperCam's microphone was measured in an anechoic chamber, designed to dampen soundwaves that reflect, or bounce off other surfaces.
More
The amount and quality of sound received by a copy of SuperCam's microphone was measured in an anechoic chamber, designed to dampen soundwaves that reflect, or bounce off other surfaces.
No Echoes for Supercam Microphone
A technician works on the descent stage for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission inside JPL’s Spacecraft Assembly Facility. Mars 2020 is slated to carry NASA’s next Mars rover to the Red Planet in July of 2020.
More
A technician working on the descent stage for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission inside JPL’s Spacecraft Assembly Facility.
JPL Tech Works Mars 2020 Descent Stage

You Might Also Like

The agency is asking the NASA community to work together to develop a revised plan that leverages innovation and proven technology.
More
NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs
NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs
NASA has proven powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds, just as the Wright brothers proved it was possible on Earth.
More
After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends
After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends
The agency established the board in May 2023 to evaluate the technical, cost, and schedule plans prior to confirmation of the mission’s design.
More
NASA Releases Independent Review's Mars Sample Return Report
NASA Releases Independent Review's Mars Sample Return Report
A pair of quakes in 2021 sent seismic waves deep into the Red Planet’s core, giving scientists the best data yet on its size and composition.
More
NASA InSight Study Provides Clearest Look Ever at Martian Core
NASA InSight Study Provides Clearest Look Ever at Martian Core
Ten sample tubes, capturing an amazing variety of Martian geology, have been deposited on Mars’ surface so they could be studied on Earth in the future.
More
NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot
NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot
Filled with rock, the sample tube will be one of 10 forming a depot of tubes that could be considered for a journey to Earth by the Mars Sample Return campaign.
More
NASA's Perseverance Rover Deposits First Sample on Mars Surface
NASA's Perseverance Rover Deposits First Sample on Mars Surface