Engineers engaged on NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter gathered collectively in a management room for one final time to watch a transmission from the history-making helicopter on the company’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on April 16, 2024. The transmission confirmed the operation of a software program patch that may permit Ingenuity to behave as a stationary testbed and acquire information that might profit future explorers of the Pink Planet.
Initially designed as short-lived expertise demonstration mission that might carry out as much as 5 experimental take a look at flights over 30 days, the primary plane on one other world operated from the Martian floor for nearly three years, flew greater than 14 instances farther than deliberate, and logged greater than two hours of complete flight time. Its 72nd and remaining flight was Jan. 18, 2024.
The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was constructed by JPL, which additionally manages the undertaking for NASA Headquarters. It’s supported by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. NASA’s Ames Analysis Middle in California’s Silicon Valley and NASA’s Langley Analysis Middle in Hampton, Virginia, supplied important flight efficiency evaluation and technical help throughout Ingenuity’s growth. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero additionally supplied design help and main car parts. Lockheed Area designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Supply System. At NASA Headquarters, Dave Lavery is this system government for the Ingenuity Mars helicopter.
