Perseverance recorded Ingenuity's 54th Red Planet flight for posterity.
NASA's Perseverance rover captured this view of the agency's Ingenuity helicopter making its 54th Red Planet flight on Aug. 3, 2023.Perseverance and Ingenuity landed together inside the 28-mile-wide Jezero in February 2021. The rover is hunting for signs of pastand collecting samples for future return to Earth. Ingenuity is aiding those quests by doing scouting work for the Perseverance team.
That wasn't the 4-pound chopper's original job; its primary mission was to show that aerial exploration is possible on Mars despite its thin atmosphere. Ingenuity aced that task with an initial five-flight campaign, then shifted to a more ambitious extended mission that now includes nearly 50 sorties.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mars helicopter Ingenuity captures Perseverance rover during 54th flightNASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter took a photo of the Perseverance rover during its 54th flight on August 3, 2023. Unlike previous flights, this one was not for scouting purposes and lasted only 24 seconds, reaching a maximum altitude of 16 feet without covering any ground laterally.
Read more »
NASA’s Mars Helicopter Captures Image of Perseverance RoverNASA’s Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, captured an aerial image of the Perseverance rover during its latest flight at the end of last week. The aircraft and rover arrived together on the red planet in February 2021, and since then both have been operating inside the Jezero Crater, a dried-up lake that scientists believe could contain evidence of ancient life.
Read more »
NASA's Mars helicopter resumes flights after untimely landingNASA's Ingenuity helicopter has resumed flights after an unexpected landing during its 53rd flight. The helicopter successfully completed its 53rd flight on July 22, following a 63-day communication blackout. During the flight, Ingenuity reached an altitude of 16 feet above Mars' surface and collected data for the Perseverance rover.
Read more »
NASA's Mars Helicopter Had an Unscheduled Landing, But Flew AgainThe Ingenuity helicopter continues to explore the landscape around Jezero Crater on Mars, now more than 800 days into its original 30-day demonstration mission. Recently, Ingenuity completed its 54th flight on the Red Planet. However, things haven’t gone exactly to plan the past several weeks. On its 53rd fight on July 22, 2023, the helicopter had an unscheduled landing but managed to fly again.
Read more »
Mars Had Wet and Dry Seasons Similar to Earth, Curiosity Rover FindsNASA's Curiosity rover has discovered hexagonal patterns in ancient mud on Mars, suggesting cyclical wet and dry periods similar to Earth's seasons. These seasonal cycles may have played a role in the formation of complex building blocks for life on Mars.
Read more »
How climate change alters rivers on both Earth on MarsThis knowledge could help humans plan for future infrastructure projects, and future natural disasters.
Read more »