NASA’s mini-chopper has ended its mission on Mars, the US space agency declared on Thursday.
Despite Ingenuity maintaining an upright position and staying in contact with ground controllers, recent images transmitted to Earth showed damage to its rotor blades from its January 18 flight, per NASA's official statement.
Permanently grounded due to its damaged rotor, the space agency has chalked the breakdown up to a hard landing, suggesting the craft lost control when it broke off contact at the end of flight.
Initially invented as a tech demo with a short-term goal, the helicopter successfully executed 72 flights over its three-year span on the red planet. Throughout this period, it logged over two hours of flight time and traversed a distance of 18 kilometers.
The mini-helicopter landed on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021, with NASA's Perseverance rover. It concluded the first controlled flight on Mars a few months later, on April 19. Soon after it transitioned to demo-operations, performing aerial surveillance for Perseverance scientists and rover controllers. In 2023, the chopper conducted two successful flight tests, contributing to the team's understanding of its aerodynamic capabilities.
In the end, the chopper's Mars mission extended to almost 1,000 days — 33 times longer than initially planned. The helicopter demonstrated its autonomy through independent landing site selection, adept handling of a malfunctioning sensor, self-cleaning after dust storms, and smooth operation from 48 airfields. Additionally, it executed three emergency landings, showcasing resilience in the face of a challenging Martian winter.
An investigation into the development remains ongoing but has raised questions regarding the future of such projects.