The Ingenuity Mars helicopter of the Nationwide Aeronautics and Area Administration (NASA) despatched its final message to the Earth. It is going to now perform as a stationary data-gathering unit on the crimson planet’s floor, the US area company revealed.
On January 25, 2024, NASA introduced the tip of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s mission. NASA’s Administrator Invoice Nelson made the announcement about its conclusion. Subsequently, its final message surfaced.
Additionally learn: NASA ends Mars helicopter mission: Ingenuity stops flying after almost three years of exploration
The Mars helicopter, equal to the scale of a tissue field, landed on Mars on April 19, 2021, onboard the Perseverance rover. The plane etched its identify in historical past with the primary powered flight on one other planet.
Ingenuity plane accomplished a complete of 72 flights, however its preliminary goal was to undertake 5 check runs. Defying expectations, this mission logged greater than two hours of flight time. With this mission, researchers looked for indicators of historical microbial life.
Additionally learn: Mars Ingenuity Helicopter re-establishes contact with mission controllers: NASA
Its last picture is amongst one of many sequence of pictures captured from March 26, 2021, to April 3, 2024. The ultimate picture sequence reveals the helicopter positioned on the Martian floor.
The rover was positioned at “Van Zyl Overlook” in Mars’ Jezero Crater, the place the plane’s flight was recorded with its cameras, because it climbed to three meters, hovered briefly, after which landed safely.
Additionally learn: NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter dropped on Mars’ floor forward of flight
The helicopter made its 59th flight on Mars on September 16, 2023, when it flew to its second highest altitude of 66 toes (20 meters).
Earlier in January, the US area company introduced that the chopper had a rotor blade injury and might now not fly.
In April 8, 2022, gorgeous footage was captured by the Mars Helicopter’s navigation digital camera of its twenty fifth flight. The spacecraft travelled 704 meters at a velocity of 5.5 meters per secon,d which marked one of many longest and quickest flight of the rotorcraft on the Pink Planet.
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