After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends

[Eugene]

Source: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

After Three Years on Mars, NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends

NASA has proven powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds, just as the Wright brothers proved it was possible on Earth.

Jan. 24, 2024

NASA’s history-making Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has ended its mission at the Red Planet after surpassing expectations and making dozens more flights than planned. While the helicopter remains upright and in communication with ground controllers, imagery of its Jan. 18 flight sent to Earth this week indicates one or more of its rotor blades sustained damage during landing and it is no longer capable of flight.

Originally designed as a technology demonstration to perform up to five experimental test flights over 30 days, the first aircraft on another world operated from the Martian surface for almost three years, performed 72 flights, and flew more than 14 times farther than planned while logging more than two hours of total flight time.

“The historic journey of Ingenuity, the first aircraft on another planet, has come to end,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “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.”

NASA to Discuss Ingenuity Mission in Media Call Today

In addition to video comments shared from Nelson about the mission’s conclusion, NASA will host a media teleconference at 5 p.m. EST today, Thursday, Jan. 25, to provide an update on Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.

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Read more: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/after-three-years-on-mars-nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-mission-ends

Link to tweet

[Eugene]

1. #ThanksIngenuity - NASA's Mars Helicopter Team Says Goodbye

Jan 25, 2024
The Mars Ingenuity Helicopter flew for the last time on Jan. 18, 2024, and NASA concluded its flight operations after post-flight imagery confirmed damage to at least one of the rotorcraft’s rotor blades that rendered it no longer capable of flight. As the historic mission comes to its end, Ingenuity’s team reflects on some of their favorite moments and memories from the helicopter’s time on Mars.

Designed as a technology demonstration that was expected to fly no more than five times over 30 days, the helicopter’s primary mission was to prove that powered, controlled flight on another planet was possible, which it did on April 19, 2021. But Ingenuity exceeded expectations and transitioned into an operations demonstration – completing 72 flights in just under three years and paving the way for future aerial exploration on the Red Planet and beyond.

NASA invites the public to celebrate Ingenuity’s legacy by sharing messages on social media with the hashtag #ThanksIngenuity.

For more information on Ingenuity, go to: mars.nasa.gov/ingenuity

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech; WATSON images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS; Mastcam-Z images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

[Wounded Bear]

2. Great story! Thanks for the link...nt

[electric_blue68]

3. While sad; what a set of Successes these 3 yrs

[NNadir]

4. I apologize for not seeing your earlier post on this topic when making mine.