The Shadow of Ingenuity s Damaged Rotor Blade
Explanation:
On
January 18, 2024,
during its 72nd flight in the thin Martian atmosphere, autonomous
Mars Helicopter Ingenuity
rose to an altitude of 12 meters (40 feet) and hovered for 4.5 seconds
above the Red Planet.
Ingenuity's 72nd landing was a rough one though.
During descent it lost contact with the Perseverance rover
about 1 meter above the Martian surface.
Ingenuity was able to transmit this image after contact was
re-established,
showing
the shadow
of one of its
rotor blades likely damaged during landing.
And so, after
wildly exceeding
expectations
during over 1,000 days of exploring Mars,
the history-making Ingenuity has ended its flight operations.
Nicknamed Ginny, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity became
the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet
on
April 19, 2021.
Before launch, a small piece of material
from the lower-left wing of the
Wright Brothers Flyer
1, the first aircraft to
achieve powered, controlled flight on planet Earth, was
fixed to the underside
of Ingenuity's solar panel.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
