--- title: "NASA Says Oops, Mars Helicopter Needs Software Update to Fly" description: "Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab have concluded that the Ingenuity Mars helicopter needs to have its flight control software reinstalled." date: "2021-04-13" modified: "2021-04-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-mars-helicopter-software-update-fly" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "ingenuity" - "JPL" - "mars" - "mars helicopter" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # NASA Says Oops, Mars Helicopter Needs Software Update to Fly ![Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab have concluded that the Ingenuity Mars helicopter needs to have its flight control software reinstalled.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Software Update NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity was meant to take flight in the [early morning hours of Monday](), marking the first time a spacecraft has lifted off the surface of another planet. But now it sounds like we'll have to be a little more patient. Over the weekend, Ingenuity's team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory [had to delay]() the mini-chopper's maiden voyage thanks to a software issue. Now, the engineers [have concluded]() that the four-pound helicopter needs to have its flight control software updated. In other words, our little friends needs a software patch before it can fly. The update will "will modify the process by which the two flight controllers boot up, allowing the hardware and software to safely transition to the flight state," according to a [press release](). ## High Ping The team isn't sure how long the process will take. Completing the uplink to the helicopter, some 280 million miles away, could take some time. Ingenuity will also be completing a high-speed spin-up test before taking first flight. "Our best estimate of a targeted flight date is fluid right now, but we are working toward achieving these milestones and will set a flight date next week," the statement reads. Despite its need for a software update, NASA says Ingenuity is still in good health, with critical functions including thermal controls to survive icy cold nights on Mars working as expected. **READ MORE:** [NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Needs a Flight Control Software Update Before First Flight on Mars]() \[JPL\] **More on Ingenuity:** *[NASA’s Mars Helicopter Hits Error, First Flight Delayed]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()