NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter retired from service earlier this year.
It crashed during its 72nd flight and was assumed to be done exploring Mars.
But scientists now say that the lightweight helicopter has been given a new lease on life and will continue to provide crucial information needed for the future of space travel.
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The rise and fall of the Ingenuity helicopter
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter made it into the history books by becoming the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet.
Known fondly as ‘Ginny’, it landed on Mars in 2021, a journey that took a whopping 208 days.
The helicopter forms part of NASA’s fleet that was sent to Mars to help us understand what life on the Red Planet could look like, among other tasks.
Recently it captured photos of ‘otherworldly’ wreckage on the surface of Mars.
While it was designed to carry out just five test flights in 30 days, the helicopter exceeded expectations, completing 72 flights in just under three years.
Its career of exploring and discovering Mars came to a halt, however, when it crashed in January 2024.
It also sent a surprisingly heartwarming message back to Earth.
The aircraft was stranded and assumed to be done with its life of service.
A second life for ‘Ginny’
Scientists have just discovered that Ingenuity’s avionics, battery, and sensors are all still in working condition.
So while its flying days might be over, the helicopter can still carry out important tasks, collecting data about Mars.
One big responsibility is beaming weather information to the Perseverance Rover regularly, which will be useful for future space exploration.
It is also being used to assess how electronics cope with being sent into deep space.
The fact that Ginny’s design has held up so well on Mars is useful to note when designing future space vehicles.
“The avionics data is already proving useful to engineers working on future designs of aircraft and other vehicles for the Red Planet,” NASA stated.
Mars exploration seems to be in full swing, as NASA also recently discovered a mysterious hole on the planet’s surface that could serve as a shelter for astronauts.
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