Earlier today on Mars - Another drive by Perseverance rover. This L-NavCam was acquired just before the end of the drive on Sol 1140, it provides a nice view down Neretva Vallis (upper right)
#Perseverance at last turned its SUPERCAM telescope to #Ingenuity. That's from a 500m distance. The smudge between the heli and its footprints on the left is dust or some other SUPERCAM flaw that exists in all images.
The glint from the metallic foot joint is noticeable.
Processed, cropped SUPERCAM_RMI
looking NNE (29°) from RMC 52.0870
Sol 1139, LMST: 12:31:58
#Perseverance's team taking a look back at the #MarsHelicopter, which had been a companion of their rover for the past 3 years on Mars and is now forced to stay behind.
Processed, leveled MCZ_LEFT, FL: 110mm
looking NNE (29°) from RMC 52.0870
Sol 1138, LMST: 13:27:55
#Perseverance seems to be determined to reach Bright Angel as soon as possible, even if it has to do it in short drives every sol, through rocky ground.
If the #MarsHelicopter#Ingenuity does take an RTE picture every Martian morning as stated, then it will most probably capture the rover as it descends slowly the slope of Neretva riverbank. The only question then is when we will see those images.
Inching closer. Another ~70m to go and, maybe, #NASA will check to see if #Ingenuity is still functioning, by taking a couple of RTE images, and hopefully have it get a last glimpse of #Perseverance before it disappears below the horizon.
And, don't say the rover has turned its back on little #MarsHelicopter, even if it appears to be so in the image. For it has a duty, and a long mission still ahead. Say, hasta la vista lil'sis!
Another drive by Perseverance rover on sol 1137, takes the rover further West to site number 52.0748. This L-NavCam was assembled and roughly processed using all 16 available tiles (edited as the tiles are now in)
#Perseverance zoomed in on what appears to be the path forward on its way to Bright Angel. That area at the center where slope increases is approximately where the rover will enter the field-of-view of #Ingenuity's RTE camera, about 150m W from its current location.
Map follows
Processed, leveled MCZ_LEFT, FL: 79mm
looking W (272°) from RMC 52.0400
Sol 1135, LMST: 07:21:50
What's really exciting about the drive down the slope of the Neretva riverbank is that at some point along the way, maybe within a week or two from now, the rover will be visible by #Ingenuity's RTE camera, at the top right corner of an RTE image, as seen in this graphic by @stim3on where I marked a possible appearance with "future Perseverance".
#Perseverance is on the move again, and this time it's made its plan unambiguous: onward to Bright Angel!
Here starts a torturous trek down the ancient Neretva riverbank, to be followed by a crossing of the sandy and flat(ter) riverbed, and finally the arrival at Bright Angel, maybe by late summer.
#Ingenuity is visible, and will be so all the way down to the riverbed.
Those light colored rock layers in the background are called Bright Angel, and that's where #Perseverance's team have long planned to go to take measurements and samples.
Processed, leveled, cropped MCZ_RIGHT, FL: 110mm
looking WNW (292°) from RMC 52.0000
Sol 1131, LMST: 12:22:08
This image shows the actual inclination of the ground at RMC 52.0130, the current location of #Perseverance on Sol 1131, and, maybe, why the trip to Bright Angel down the ancient riverbank and into the sandy Neretva riverbed might be risky.
Map follows
Processed, undistorted, leveled NAVCAM_RIGHT quick mosaic
looking SW (218°) from RMC 52.0120
Sol 1131, LMST: 13:20:47
Which way to go?
White route leads to Bright Angel.
Green route leads inland and eventually upward toward the cater rim. The photo shows the (guessed) start of the green route.
The western face of the ripple where #Ingenuity landed in its final flight 72 looked very steep in the other images, and indeed, the rover was tilted 10.9° when it captured these images. So, here is one corrected to horizontal, also showing markings relative to #TheMarsHelicopter..
Processed and leveled MCZ_RIGHT, FL: 110mm
looking from RMC 52.0000
Sol 1130, LMST: 16:19:13