NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
To say ‘mission accomplished’ would be an understatement. NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter completed its 72nd and final flight last month, ending its experimental mission after one of its rotors was irreparably damaged, but far exceeding its intended purpose. Ingenuity was designed to carry out just five flights over the course of 30 days, testing ground-breaking technology and serving as an airborne scout for NASA’s Perseverance rover. Three years later, Ingenuity has buzzed across more than 10 miles of the Martian surface, proving itself a reliable companion for future human and robotic explorers.