NASA’s Ingenuity: The Inside Story of How a Mars Helicopter Defied the Odds
In a leafy thoroughfare leading to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, MiMi Aung couldn’t contain her excitement. Aung, who grew up in Burma and Malaysia, had always dreamed of working in aerospace but thought it was beyond her reach. However, at 22 years old, she found herself with a job interview at NASA’s Deep Space Network. She got the job and spent the next 25 years working on various programs until she was given a choice in 2014. She could remain as a manager or take over a project to develop a small helicopter that could fly on Mars. Aung made the leap and faced numerous challenges along the way.
The idea of flying on Mars had been a dream at JPL since the 1990s, but funding dried up, and the project was put on hold. It was revived in 2013 when Charles Elachi, the director of JPL at the time, provided seed funding to a team led by engineer Bob Balaram. Aung joined the team and eventually took over as the project lead. However, they faced opposition from critics who believed the helicopter would be a distraction from the main mission of searching for evidence of past life on Mars.
Despite the opposition, Aung and her team pressed on, focusing on two major challenges: delivering a functioning helicopter within budget and ensuring it wouldn’t jeopardize the main mission. They faced technical hurdles, such as building a lightweight vehicle capable of flying in Mars’ thin atmosphere. They also had to address concerns about the rover getting stuck or the helicopter failing to detach.
The project faced further challenges when Elachi retired in 2016 and NASA’s science directorate got a new leader, Thomas Zurbuchen. Zurbuchen initially had reservations about the helicopter but was impressed by Aung and her team’s progress. He decided to give them a chance, despite opposition from the science community and mission managers.
With the support of influential figures like Congressman John Culberson, who included budget line items for the helicopter, Aung and her team overcame technical and political challenges. They successfully launched Ingenuity alongside the Perseverance rover in February 2021. Ingenuity made history by becoming the first aircraft to fly on another planet, completing 72 missions during its 33-month lifespan.
The success of Ingenuity has significant implications for future space exploration. It demonstrated the feasibility of flight in extreme environments and the use of commercial off-the-shelf parts, which can reduce costs and expedite future missions. The struggle to fly Ingenuity also highlights the importance of supporting innovative and risky projects within NASA.
Many key figures involved in the project have since moved on from their roles, but their contributions will be remembered. It’s also worth noting that several individuals involved in making Ingenuity fly were not born in the United States, highlighting the diversity and global collaboration within NASA.
The story of Ingenuity is a testament to human ingenuity, perseverance, and the power of dreams. It shows what can be achieved when the right people come together to push the boundaries of exploration.
