NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Mission Ends | Aviation International News

NASA's Mars Helicopter Bites the Dust

Ingenuity's rotor blades sustained damage upon landing

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter captured this view of the shadow of a rotor blade that was damaged during a rough landing on Jan. 18, 2024. — NASA's Ingenuity helicopter captured this view of the shadow of a rotor blade that was damaged during a rough landing on Jan. 18, 2024. © NASA/JPL-Caltech

By Hanneke Weitering • Science & Technology Editor

January 25, 2024

NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity has bitten the dust after three fruitful years of exploration on the Red Planet. According to NASA, the aircraft suffered damage to its rotor blades during a rough landing after its final flight on January 18.

The Ingenuity helicopter, endearingly nicknamed Ginny, arrived on Mars in February 2021 after hitching a ride on the agency’s Perseverance rover. Three months later, it became the first aircraft to conduct controlled, powered flight on another planet. Mars’ thin atmosphere presented a challenge for the little rotorcraft, which had to spin its blades up to 10 times faster than helicopters on Earth to stay aloft.

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