Bittersweet ending for NASA. The mission of the Ingenuity helicopter from the US space agency has come to an end after completing 72 flights on Mars over the past three years. Originally designed as an experiment, Ingenuity became the first drone to operate and fly on another planet.
The images and data returned to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California showed that one or more of the carbon fiber rotor blades of the helicopter were damaged during landing on its last flight this month, which also caused a communication problem that was resolved in a few days. The team determined that the helicopter can no longer fly, according to the space agency.
“The historic journey of Ingenuity, the first aircraft on another planet, has come to an end,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement. “That extraordinary 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 flights in our solar system and smarter, safer human exploration to Mars and beyond.”
Ingenuity traveled to Mars alongside the Perseverance rover on April 19, 2021, and is currently in a vertical position on the surface of the red planet. Mission controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have been able to maintain communication with the helicopter since its recent incident.
