The US space agency NASA has announced that the Martian Ingenuity helicopter has completed its operations on Mars. NASA chief Bill Nelson, in a statement, highlighted the remarkable role the helicopter played during its mission. The Ingenuity drone made its first flight almost three years ago, proving that flight is possible in Mars’ extremely rarefied atmosphere and became the first aircraft to make a controlled extraterrestrial flight.
‘What Ingenuity accomplished far exceeded our wildest expectations,’ the NASA chief announced. What was supposed to be a mere demonstration of the technology with plans for just five flights culminated in the remarkable achievement of 72 flights to Mars. On 18 January 2024, Ingenuity’s rotor blades were damaged on landing during what appeared to be its final flight. NASA is investigating the possibility that the propeller blade struck the ground.
The drone’s name perfectly illustrates what it has accomplished. In April 2020, the rotorcraft was named Ingenuity by Vaneza Rupani, the 11th grade student who won NASA’s ‘Name the Rover’ competition. In an atmosphere a hundred times rarer than that on Earth, the helicopter has paved the way for future flights in our Solar System. It has also pioneered the development of safer manned missions to Mars and beyond.
In thanking Ingenuity in his statement, Bill Nelson, emphasised that the drone has contributed significantly to what NASA strives to do – turn the impossible into the possible.
Bill Nelson’s entire statement is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW5akI5Rnyg
