JawaPos.com–The US Space Agency (NASA) announced that on Thursday (25/1), the 4 pound (1.8 kg) helicopter named Ingenuity could no longer fly due to damage to the rotor blades.
Reporting from The Guardian, officials said, despite remaining upright and in contact with flight controllers, the mission was officially over. Originally intended as a short-term technology demo, Ingenuity logged 72 flights over three years on Mars.
The aircraft had accumulated more than two hours of flight time, covering a distance of 11 miles (18 km). That’s more than 14 times further than planned. According to NASA, the helicopter soared 79 feet (24 meters) and reached speeds of up to 22.4 mph (36 km/h).
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“While we know it is inevitable, it is not easy to announce the end of the mission, it is almost an understatement to say that it has exceeded expectations,” said NASA’s Lori Glaze.
Ingenuity hitched a ride on NASA’s Perseverance rover, which made a landing on Mars in 2021. She ultimately served as a scout for the rover and proved that powered flight was possible in the thin Martian atmosphere.
Images sent this week from its final flight show that one or more of its rotor blades suffered damage during landing and may have hit the surface. Its blades no longer usable, the helicopter climbed to a height of 40 feet on its final flight last week, hovering for several seconds before descending.
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He mysteriously lost contact with a nearby rover, for which reason the loss of communication is being investigated.
2024-01-26 16:24:00
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