NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Won’t Fly Again

NASA has officially concluded its Ingenuity Mars helicopter mission, originally planned for a month with five flights. Surpassing expectations, the mission endured for three years, completing 72 flights before being halted due to damaged rotors after its last flight. Ingenuity, part of NASA’s Perseverance rover mission, made history on April 19, 2021, as the first-ever aircraft to take flight on another planet.

Ingenuity’s Surpassing Success

The initial objectives of the initiative were quite humble. Ingenuity was designed as a demonstrator to prove the feasibility of constructing a helicopter capable of flying in Martian conditions. However, it surpassed expectations by operating for over 1,000 Martian days across diverse terrains and 48 “airfields.” Beyond pushing the boundaries of Martian aerodynamics, it served as a scout, aiding the Perseverance rover in identifying new areas for exploration.

As per NASA, Ingenuity’s mission concluded on January 18, 2024. During its last flight, the helicopter experienced an emergency landing and could not be located. To aid in its retrieval, Mission Control instructed Ingenuity to take off and return into view. During this flight, it reached an altitude of 40 feet (12 meters) before descending. Regrettably, communication with Perseverance was lost, resulting in a hard landing for Ingenuity.

Rotor Damage and Operational Closure

The cause of this incident is currently under investigation. However, images sent by Perseverance indicated damage to the rotor blades, leading to the helicopter being grounded after accumulating a total flight time of over two hours during its operational lifespan.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson remarked, “The historic journey of Ingenuity, the first aircraft on another planet, has come to an end. That remarkable helicopter flew higher and farther than we ever imagined and helped NASA do what we do best – make the impossible possible. Through missions like Ingenuity, NASA is paving the way for future flight in our solar system and smarter, safer human exploration to Mars and beyond.”

The video provided below serves as the official declaration marking the conclusion of Ingenuity’s mission.

Read thr original article on: New Atlas

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