The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is investigating a mysterious object that has attached itself to the Ingenuity, the US space agency helicopter used on Mars. A video released by NASA shows a small piece of debris stuck on part of the plane.
There is something on your foot, #MarsHelicopter! 👀
We’re examining some debris that ended up at Ingenuity’s feet on her last flight. As shown in the GIF, it eventually broke off and had no impact on a successful Flight 33. https://t.co/S78Chpo2uO pic.twitter.com/oFnRUBy4aq– NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) 1 October 2022
The images were taken during Ingenuity’s 33rd flight, when the helicopter was exploring the Jazero crater region. The crash shows something like a plastic clipped to the foot of the plane. NASA has qualified the object as “FOD” – an acronym for Foreign Object Debris. The term is used in aviation to refer to any foreign particle or substance capable of causing damage to an aircraft.
Ingenuity’s 33rd flight to Mars lasted just over 55 seconds. NASA said the plane, weighing about 2 kilograms, traveled about 111 meters before landing. The agency also confirmed that the helicopter and Perseverance, a space robot launched in 2020, are working to identify the source of the debris. The most likely explanation is that the object is a piece of fabric left by Perseverance’s parachute.
