NASA Retires Mars Ingenuity Helicopter After Exceeding Expectations

After three years and 72 flights on Mars, NASA has officially declared end of mission for the Ingenuity helicopter after it was damaged during its final flight.

According to the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, while the helicopter itself remained upright and in communication with ground controllers, cameras onboard and flight data sent back to Earth information indicating that one of its carbon-fiber rotor blades sustained damage during landing on Jan.18, and was no longer capable of flight.

"That remarkable helicopter flew higher and farther than we ever imagined and helped NASA do what we do best - make the impossible possible," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a video announcement. "Through missions like Ingenuity, NASA is paving the way for future flight in our solar system and smarter, safer human exploration to Mars and beyond."

NASA Retires Mars Ingenuity Helicopter After Exceeding Expectations — *(Photo: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)*

Little Helicopter Dares Mighty Things

Initially conceived as a 30-day proof of concept that propeller and rotor-driven aircraft could be flown on the Red Planet, Ingenuity far surpassed its intended lifespan and purpose.

"The little helicopter that could - and it kept saying 'I think I can, I think I can' - well, it's taken its last flight," Nelson added.

Ingenuity landed alongside its parent spacecraft, the Perseverance rover, in February 2021. It made its first flight that April, and has since been recognized as the very first powered controlled flight on Mars.

After its primary mission was completed, Ingenuity was redesignated as an aerial scout for Perseverance, conducting reconnaissance operations to pave the way for safer human and drone exploration on Mars and other planets.