The Mars helicopter Ingenuity has achieved an impressive feat, having flown over 42,369 feet across the surface of Mars. It reached its highest altitude at just under 60 feet above the Red Planet’s surface. This incredible accomplishment is illustrated by NASA.
Aug. 31 (UPI) — NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab has announced that Ingenuity, the small helicopter on Mars, has successfully completed its 56th flight, surpassing all expectations.
During its latest flight, Ingenuity covered a distance of 1,334 feet, equivalent to a little over a quarter of a mile, across the Martian surface. The helicopter reached a maximum altitude of approximately 39 feet above the Red Planet’s surface.
“The purpose of this flight was to reposition the helicopter,” stated NASA.
The Mars helicopter, with a cost of $80 million, made its debut flight on the Martian surface in April 2021. It was designed to demonstrate powered and controlled flight on another planet, marking a significant milestone for NASA. The test was conducted within a 30-Martian-day experimental window.
Following three successful flights, Ingenuity transitioned to a new operations demonstration phase to explore the potential collaboration between future rovers and aerial explorers.
NASA officials confirmed that the helicopter will continue to map the planet’s surface as long as it remains operational.
Overall, Ingenuity has flown over 42,369 feet or approximately eight miles across the Martian surface. Its highest altitude achieved was just under 60 feet above the surface.
There was a moment of concern when Ingenuity went silent on April 26, leading its operators to fear that it was damaged by the extreme temperatures on Mars. However, on June 28, the helicopter communicated with the Perseverance rover, marking its first contact since going silent after its 52nd flight in the Jezero Crater.
“Demonstrating coordination between Perseverance and Ingenuity remains a primary objective,” said Joshua Anderson, Ingenuity’s team lead at JPL.
NASA is now focusing on developing more lightweight helicopters to aid in the retrieval of Martian samples, which will be loaded into a rocket-propelled container for transport back to Earth.
