He was the first to fly from the surface of the red planet on April 19, 2021. Almost three years later, Ingenuity landed for the last time in the sand. A true demonstration of creativity, he unfortunately broke a rotor blade on the sand of Mars. But what a journey!
When it landed on the surface of Mars in February 2021, NASA’s largest rovers, Perseverance, carried an astonishing prototype between its wheels. The public had not then discovered Ingenuity, the small twin-rotor helicopter designed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to try to fly in the very thin Martian atmosphere. It took time to test Perseverance, then to carefully lower Ingenuity to the surface.
But on April 19, 2021, from a safe distance, the teams were able to observe the small device taking off vertically. An incredible technological demonstration, for equipment weighing only 1.8 kg equipped with a small solar panel, two rotors, two cameras and an antenna allowing it to communicate with Earth via Perseverance. Originally, Ingenuity was supposed to carry out three flights, then five. He ultimately managed 72.
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An impeccable journey
From the end of spring 2021, despite its limited capabilities, NASA has in fact decided to use the maximum potential of its small helicopter. And here he has officially become a scout for the Perseverance mission. Unable to get too far from the large rover, Ingenuity flew close, skimming over sands, craters and ridges that could not be approached with wheels, and providing never-before-seen views of all the major sites in the mission for almost 3 years.
There had already been a scare in 2023 when Ingenuity landed behind a dune (he lost radio contact), but the indestructible little helicopter had always surprised by functioning again. At the end of December, its 71st flight was cut short once again, and it was visibly while landing during the 72nd, a vertical test, that one of its carbon rotors, rotating at 2,400 rpm, struck sand and broke. About 25% is missing: Ingenuity will no longer take off. On January 25, 2024, NASA announced the end of its mission during a press conference.
Ingenuity will have a legacy
In 72 flights, Ingenuity therefore ultimately traveled approximately 18 kilometers, with a maximum altitude of 24 meters (its cruising altitude was rather between 8 and 12m from the ground), knowing that it accumulated more than 128 minutes above the ground ! A success for a daring demonstration, and which is celebrated today for its true value.
In addition to the recognition of NASA for its teams (but also of the public), Ingenuity did not fly for nothing: several other helicopters should visit Mars in the years and decades to come, with specific tasks increasingly developed . Exploration, discovery, capture and sample collection… This was only the beginning!
Source : NASA
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