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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.
Aw.
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.
Well, it certainly surpassed expectations. RIP Ingenuity, you did well.
While NASA rovers regularly surpass expectations (eg oppy), it’s still a massive achievement.
I was watching AGDQ last week, and they had a segment sponsored to talk about science tengentially related to the game played in which they put in perspective the fact that the videogame being ran had heavy troop transport quadcopters on an exoplanet, and how considerably more advanced than current tech it was as we only ever had a single vehicle do powered flight on another planet as of yet.
Yeah, JPL is especially good at managing expectations. Everything they do lasts years longer than advertised, and clearly that’s not accidental.
Still, this one really did feel like an experiment, and it’s pretty cool that they got so much out of it. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next Martian helicopter looks like.
It is unfortunate but Ingenuity is something to be celebrated. A bittersweet moment for NASA engineers and the community. It was an amazing accomplishment and a true example of the kinds of things we can accomplish. I mean, we flew a fucking drone on another planet! It’s mission was only 30 days and it lasted nearly 3 years! That’s just incredible! One day a future human will pick it up and place it in a museum for all to see with a label proudly stating “Ingenuity: The first aircraft to fly on another planet.”
I can’t believe it is 3 years since the landing. I remember watching the hover crane and Ingenuity’s first flight. Rest easy Ingenuity o7
Now NASA has passed the final trial of all RC helicopter enthusiasts. RIP Ingenuity. And here’s to many future Mars helicopters!
a very sad day for me
It’s currently sol 1043 on Mars, the helicopter was deployed on sol 43. 1000 sols on Mars
Both of the mission namesakes (Perseverance & Ingenuity) have very literally lived up to their reputations, and then some. Prodigious naming, that.
On to Titan! Yes, you heard right, we are going to see a quadcopter flying around on Titan!
Not just a quadcopter. A nuclear-powered double-rotor quadcopter!
Launch NET 2028, landing NET 2034. A decade feels like a long time to wait…
