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A Year Ago, NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Took to the Skies for the First Time

On April 19th, 2021, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter wrote history. The four-pound (1.8-kg) aircraft took to the skies in the thin atmosphere of Mars, demonstrating that controlled flight is possible on another planet. Now, a year later, Ingenuity has clocked more than 46 minutes aloft, proving that it is capable of pushing its limits every time.
NASA Ingenuity helicopter 7 photos
Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech
This annotated image depicts the multiple flights and two different routesIngenuity helicopter snaps image of Séítah region on MarsNASA Ingenuity helicopterIngenuity helicopter snaps image of Séítah region on MarsIngenuity helicopter snaps image of Séítah region on MarsIngenuity helicopter snaps image of Séítah region on Mars
Ingenuity was intended to perform five flights times in order to prove that flight is possible on Mars. But the chopper did so much more than that. To date, it has successfully completed 25 trips on the Red Planet. During this time, it managed to travel 5,824 meters (19,109 ft) in total, taking stunning images of regions otherwise inaccessible to NASA's Perseverance rover.

Soon after it showed the world what it could do, the helicopter was assigned an aerial scouting job. That allowed the team behind Perseverance to obtain detailed imagery from high altitudes and see Mars from a different perspective. That helped the team determine potential science targets for the rover.

Ingenuity's work is far from done. Recently, NASA has extended the rotorcraft's flight operations through September. Until then, the helicopter will be busy with the new Delta campaign, which will send the two robotic partners to the top of a massive accumulation of rocks and sediment in the western part of Jezero Crater that might hold clues about Mars' wet past.

Once at the delta, the helicopter will continue to snap images from above and map out the terrain before Perseverance starts spinning its wheels. This will help the team behind the rover choose the best route and places to investigate. The rover will then collect samples from ancient rock layers and sediments, searching for signs of ancient microbial life.

For now, the helicopter seems to be healthy and in good shape. That means the little rotorcraft will take off in no time and prove that nothing can stop it.

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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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