NASA is investigating the Ingenuity helicopter's final flight on Mars

When the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter finally flew for the last time and went silent, many people thought that would be the last we heard about it. However, NASA engineers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California are assessing its final flight right now. This is the first-ever aircraft accident investigation performed on a craft on another planet. Ingenuity already had the distinct honor of being the first aircraft to fly on another world.

Ingenuity was only meant to fly five times over 30 days, but it flew for almost three years, clocking 72 total flights. Flight 72, its last, resulted in a crash that caused it to be permanently grounded. All four of its rotor blades snapped as the helicopter fell onto a sand ripple and rolled, permanently grounding it.

Since Ingenuity’s vision navigation system couldn’t find enough surface features in the Jezero Crater to track, it couldn’t land properly. The hard landing likely caused the helicopter to roll, but this tragic final flight isn’t all bad news. Today, scientists and engineers use data from Ingenuity’s flights to work toward a better aircraft design. The <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="

    </div>"><ins>Mars Chopper</ins></a> is one such example, a rotorcraft that could theoretically fly up to two miles a day.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/nasa-is-investigating-the-ingenuity-helicopters-final-flight-on-mars-152714096.html?src=rss

https://www.engadget.com/science/nasa-is-investigating-the-ingenuity-helicopters-final-flight-on-mars-152714096.html?src=rss

Creato 4mo | 12 dic 2024, 16:10:13


Accedi per aggiungere un commento

Altri post in questo gruppo

How to watch LlamaCon 2025, Meta's first generative AI developer conference

After a couple years of having its open-source Llama AI model be just a part of its Connect conferences, Meta is breaking things out and hosting an entirely generative AI-focused developer conferen

25 apr 2025, 22:50:14 | Engadget
Boox's new Go 7 E Ink tablets support handwriting with a $46 stylus

Boox, a company that makes E Ink gear ranging from

25 apr 2025, 20:30:23 | Engadget
“It feels alive”: The Legend of Ochi director on the power of puppets

The Legend of Ochi feels like a film that shouldn't exist today. It's an original story, not an adaptation of an already popular book or comic. It's filled with complex puppetry and practi

25 apr 2025, 20:30:22 | Engadget
Infinity Nikki is coming to Steam and getting a co-op mode

The fashion-forward adventure Infinity Nikki is finally coming to Steam on April 29, compl

25 apr 2025, 20:30:21 | Engadget