Ingenuity – NASA's small Mars helicopter – has officially ended its historic mission after three years of extended and loyal service. Despite initial plans to conduct only five or so test flights over about 30 days in 2021, the four-pound, 19-inch-long drone continued to be trucked for another three years. Ingenuity ultimately spent more than two hours flying through the red planet's thin, carbon dioxide-laden atmosphere during its flight. Total 72 tripsIn the end, he covered a whopping distance of about 11 miles.
But on January 25th NASA It confirmed that its helicopter had destroyed at least one blade while completing the flight on January 18. Although it is upright and still in contact with ground control, Ingenuity's days of aerial exploration are certainly over.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called it “the little helicopter that can.” Pre-recorded message Published yesterday, Ingenuity has “flyed higher and farther than we ever imagined”.
“Through missions like Ingenuity, NASA is paving the way for future voyages in our solar system and smarter, safer human exploration to Mars and beyond,” he continued.
The helicopter landed next to the Perseverance rover on February 18, 2021, but continued to set new records until last month. On December 20, 2023, Ingenuity rocketed at approximately 22.5 mph for 135 seconds, covering about 2,315 feet in the process. Another successful flight followed on December 22, but Ingenuity's 71st mission unfortunately ended in an emergency landing. A planned vertical liftoff to confirm its position on January 18 allowed Ingenuity to climb 40 feet into the air for 4.5 seconds before beginning a slow descent to the Martian surface.
However, about three feet from landing, the helicopter lost contact with Perseverance, which is responsible (among many other things) for transmitting Ingenuity's data to Earth. NASA The link has been recreated the next day, but significant damage to the rotor blade was later determined.
[Related: NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter set a new flight distance record on Mars.]
“Ingenuity is an example of how we push the boundaries of what is possible every day,” said Lori Lishin, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a statement. Yesterday's announcement. “I am extremely proud of our team behind this historic technological achievement and look forward to seeing what they invent next.”
By NASA's final tally, Ingenuity has lived up to its name for nearly 1,000 Martian days, about 33 times longer than expected. During its service life, the helicopter received a system update It was beamed across space, allowing it to independently choose the best landing sites Destructive dust stormsA dispute Dead sensorHe experienced Martian winter temperatures as low as… -112 degrees Fahrenheit.
Good fare you, tact. For a trip down memory lane, check out NASA The official website of the mission.
