Mars 2020, Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter drone, NASA, USA

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Perseverance's Mastcam-Z Views Ingenuity's 47th takeoff

Jan 6, 2024

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is seen here at the starting point of its 47th flight on Mars. This video shows the dust initially kicked up by the helicopter's spinning rotors, as well as Ingenuity taking off, hovering, and beginning its 1,444-foot (440-meter) journey to the southwest. The rotorcraft landed – off camera – at Airfield "Iota."

The video was captured by the Mastcam-Z imager aboard NASA's Perseverance rover on March 9, 2023. At the time the video was taken, the rover was about 394 feet (120 meters) from the helicopter.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover. Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which manages the project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System.

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Article "NASA finds Ingenuity after losing contact with the Mars helicopter"

by Emma Bowman
January 20, 2024

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Article "Ingenuity, the NASA Helicopter Flying Over Mars, Ends Its Mission"
The robot flew 72 times, serving as a scouting partner to the Perseverance rover, aiding in the search for evidence that there was once life on the red planet.

by Kenneth Chang
January 25, 2024

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Legacy of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter

Jan 25, 2024

On April 19, 2021, NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history when it completed the first powered, controlled flight on the Red Planet. It flew for the last time on January 18, 2024.

Designed to be a technology demonstration that would make no more than five test flights in 30 days, the helicopter eventually completed 72 flights in just under 3 years, soaring higher and faster than previously imagined. Ingenuity embarked on a new mission as an operations demonstration, serving as an aerial scout for scientists and rover planners, and for engineers ready to learn more about Perseverance’s landing gear debris.

In its final phase, the helicopter entered a new engineering demonstration phase where it executed experimental flight tests that further expanded the team’s knowledge of the vehicle’s aerodynamic limits.

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The Most Extreme Flights of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter (Mars Report)

Feb 1, 2024

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter pushed aerodynamic limits during the final months of its mission, setting new records for speed, distance, and altitude. Hear from Ingenuity chief engineer Travis Brown on how the data the team collected could eventually be used in future rotorcraft designs.

Ingenuity was originally designed to make up to five flights – but completed 72 before sustaining rotor-blade damage that rendered it unable to fly. NASA announced the end of the helicopter’s mission on Jan. 25, 2024. The maximum altitude achieved by the helicopter during its mission was 79 feet (24 meters), on Flight 61. The maximum groundspeed was 22.4 mph (10 meters per second), reached during Flights 62, 68, and 69. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built and manages operations for Ingenuity and the Perseverance Mars rover.

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Ingenuity’s Final Airfield - Valinor Hills

Feb 26, 2024

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured a mosaic of images showing the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter at its final airfield, on 4 February 2024. Ingenuity damaged its rotor blades during landing on its 72nd flight, on 18 January 2024. The Ingenuity team has nicknamed the spot where the helicopter completed its final flight “Valinor Hills” after the fictional location in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels.

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Mavericks of Mars: The Ingenuity Helicopter Team’s Favorite Flights (Live Public Talk)

Streamed live on Mar 22, 2024

The Ingenuity Helicopter first took to the Martian skies on April 19, 2021, proving for the first time that powered, controlled flight was possible on another world.

Designed as a technology demonstration that would perform up to five experimental test flights over a span of 30 days, the Mars helicopter surpassed expectations – repeatedly – only recently completing its mission after having logged an incredible 72 flights over nearly three years.

Join us for a live talk to learn how Ingenuity’s team used resourcefulness and creativity to transform the rotorcraft from a successful tech demo into a helpful scout for the Perseverance rover, ultimately proving the value of aerial exploration for future interplanetary missions.

Speakers:
Dr. Havard F. Grip, Aerodynamics, Flight Control Lead, and Chief Pilot (Flights 1-37), NASA JPL

Dr. Martin Cacan, Guidance and Control Analyst, Pilot (Flights 15-37), Guidance, Navigation, Control Lead, and Chief Pilot (Flights 38-72), NASA JPL

Host:
Gregory Smith, Office of Communications and Education, NASA JPL

Co-host:
Sarah Marcotte, Mars Public Engagement, NASA JPL

(Original Air Date: March 21, 2024)

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"NASA’s Curiosity Searches for New Clues About Mars’ Ancient Water"

March 29, 2024

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See Ingenuity’s Flight Map: 72 Helicopter Flights on Mars

Apr 19, 2024

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter became the first vehicle to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet when it took to the Martian skies on April 19, 2021. This video maps the location of the 72 flights that the helicopter took over the course of nearly three years. Ingenuity far surpassed expectations — soaring higher and faster than previously imagined.

Designed to be a technology demonstration that would make no more than five test flights in 30 days, Ingenuity eventually flew more than 14 times farther than the distance expected, and logged more than two hours of total flight time. It flew for the final time on Jan. 18, 2024.