Perseverance snaps image of NASA’s ‘little dustier’ Mars helicopter two years after its first flight

NASA has captured a close-up view of its Ingenuity Mars helicopter nearly two years after the first of 50 flights to the Red Planet.

The U.S. space agency said its 4-pound helicopter looked “mighty good” — albeit a “little dustier” — while perched on the rocky surface.

Ingenuity made its historic 50th flight on April 13, covering a distance of 322.2 m in just under three minutes.

It reached a record height of 60 feet before descending into the Red Planet’s Belva crater, which stretches for about half a mile.

The photo was taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover, which also landed on Mars two years ago as part of a mission to search for signs of extraterrestrial life.

This week, the team tweeted, “I’ve had a closer look at the #MarsHelicopter than I’ve had in quite some time. Ingenuity is a bit dustier since its first flight two years ago today (!!) – but after 50 flights it’s looking amazingly good!’

The groundbreaking helicopter made history on April 19, 2021 when it performed its maiden flight on another world, rocketing 10 feet into the air.

NASA originally thought Ingenuity would only fly five times, but it’s now 23 Earth months and 45 flights past its expected lifespan.

As a result, the helicopter has become central to Mars exploration with a current flight time of 89 minutes, covering more than 7.1 miles (11.6 kilometers).

Ingenuity team leader at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Teddy Tzanetos said: ‘When we first flew, we thought we would be incredibly lucky if we made five flights.

“We have exceeded our projected cumulative flight time since our technology demonstration by 1,250 percent and the projected distance flown by 2,214 percent.”

Cleverly designed by engineers, Ingenuity can make its own decisions in real time and is equipped with computers and navigation sensors.

It is also equipped with a solar panel on top of the rotor system, which allows the helicopter to self-charge its six lithium-ion batteries and keep exploring.

During his two years of training, Ingenuity has shown engineers how useful aircraft can be in supporting planetary expeditions.

The helicopter has also been used as inspiration for designs for potential future Mars helicopters, at a time when space teams around the world are eager to get to the Red Planet.

NASA’s helicopter is now 23 Earth months and 45 flights past its expected life

Meanwhile, NASA’s Perseverance rover is trying to collect Martian rock and sediment samples for analysis by scientists on Earth.

This is expected to take place in 2033 at the earliest and will mark another historic milestone of the first rocket ever launched from another planet.

In 2023, Ingenuity has battled the deep cold of winter and regional dust events as it made its way out of the Jezero crater.

Tough conditions now lie ahead for the helicopter as it ventures into it rugged and unfamiliar terrain that carries a risk of potential hazards.

“We’re not in Martian Kansas anymore,” said Josh Anderson, chief of operations of Ingenuity at NASA’s JPL in Southern California.

Both the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity landed on the Red Planet two years ago

Pictured: NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover takes a selfie over a rock nicknamed the ‘Rochette’

‘We’re flying over the dried up remains of an ancient river filled with sand dunes, boulders and rocks, and surrounded by hills where we could have lunch. And while we recently upgraded the onboard navigation software to help determine safe airports, every flight is still a white knuckler.”

With Ingenuity battling the elements, NASA has recognized that the mission must eventually end.

The helicopter – which looks “slightly dustier” than before – has also shown some signs of use amid the rough terrain.

It has also suffered numerous power outages, one of which lasted two weeks in October 2021 due to the position of the Red Planet in space.

Tzanetos added: “Whether Ingenuity’s mission ends tomorrow, next week or months from now, no one can predict at this point. What I can predict is that when that happens, we’re going to have a great party.’