Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Completes fifth flight successfully: NASA

After all, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter completes the fifth flight successfully. The MASA’s helicopter carried out the task on the Red Planet on Friday with its first one-way journey from Wright Brothers Field to an airfield 423 feet to the south. It was the first time the helicopter flew to a new landing site.

After it had arrived above its new airfield, Ingenuity climbed to an altitude record of 33 feet and captured high-resolution color images of its new neighborhood before touching down. The flight had begun at 3:26 p.m. EDT (12:26 p.m. PDT, 12:33 p.m. local Mars time) and had lasted 108 seconds.

Moreover, NASA says the flight represents the rotorcraft’s transition to its new operation’s demonstration phase. This phase will focus on investigating what kind of capabilities a rotorcraft operating from Mars can provide. The experimental operations include scouting and aerial observations of areas not accessible by a rover, detailed stereo imaging from atmospheric altitudes etc. Scientists have expected that these operations and the lessons learned from them could significantly benefit future aerial exploration of Mars and other worlds.

According to NASA, they may get a couple more flights in over the next few weeks. Ingenuity had historically completed its third test flight on 25th April.

A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search of signs of ancient microbial life.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages this technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. NASA’s Science, Aeronautics, and Space Technology mission directorates have supported it.