The space agency declared on Thursday that rotor blade damage has rendered the 4-pound (1.8-kg) Ingenuity helicopter unfit for flight. Officially, its $85 million mission is ended, but it’s still upright and in communication with flight controllers, according to officials.
Originally designed as a temporary technology demonstration, Ingenuity completed 72 flights on Mars in three years. It flew for over two hours, covering a distance of eleven miles (18 kilometers). NASA claims that’s over 14 times farther than anticipated. It reached speeds of up to 22.4 mph (36 kph) and reached as high as 79 feet (24 meters).
NASA’s Lori Glaze stated, “While we knew this day was inevitable, it doesn’t make it any easier” to declare the mission’s end. “It’s almost an understatement to say that it has surpassed expectations.”
NASA’s Perseverance rover carried innovation with it when it landed on Mars in 2021. In the end, it proved powered flight was feasible in the low Martian atmosphere and acted as a scout for the rover.
This week, images from its most recent mission were sent back, revealing that one or more of its rotor blades may have struck the Earth while landing and sustained damage. NASA claims that the blades are no longer functional.
During its latest flight last week, the helicopter reached a height of 40 feet (12 meters), hovering for a brief period of time before landing. As it was still three feet (1 meter) above the ground, it unexpectedly lost touch with the neighboring rover, which served as its communication relay. The damage was verified once connection was established again. The cause of the communication breakdown is being looked into.
NASA decided to use two miniature helicopters on a future Mars trip in 2022 as a result of ingenuity’s success.
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