NASA uses two worlds to test future Mars helicopter designs:
- Earth: NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California
- Mars: NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter
NASA has tested a new rotor that could be used with next-generation Mars helicopters at JPL. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is a small aircraft that was carried to Mars attached to the belly of the Perseverance rover. The helicopter’s mission is independent of the rover’s science mission.
The Ingenuity helicopter was intended to perform a 30-sol technology demonstration. It made five flights at altitudes ranging from 3–5 m (10–16 ft) for up to 90 seconds each. The 59th flight of the Ingenuity helicopter helped teams design the next generation of Martian helicopters.
The helicopter’s name is Ingenuity. It’s also nicknamed Ginny.
Ingenuity is part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. The helicopter’s purpose is to demonstrate the viability of aerial robots for planetary exploration.
Ingenuity first flew on April 19, 2021. It hovered 10 feet (3 meters) for 30 seconds. It has completed 66 flights, far exceeding its originally planned technology demonstration of up to five flights.
Ingenuity made history when it achieved the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
Ingenuity’s rotor blades are about 4 feet long and rotate at about 2,800 revolutions per minute. This is about 10 times faster than the speed needed for flight on Earth. The large blades and fast rotation create enough lift to keep the helicopter aloft in Mars’ thin atmosphere.
Ingenuity’s first flight was low and brief. It hovered 10 feet (3 meters) above the floor of Mars’ Jezero Crater for about 40 seconds. Since then, it has flown higher and further on 35 more occasions.
Ingenuity’s flights have ranged in altitude from 1 to 59 feet. It has traveled a total of 43,652 feet (13,304 m) and stayed aloft for 106.5 minutes.
Ingenuity is currently in a three-part series of flights. The first leg takes it from its original flight area across a region known as the Séítah. The next leg will have it exploring the Jezero river delta.
As of November 2023, Ingenuity continues to fly successfully. It’s providing scientific data and scouting sites for Perseverance. Ingenuity has broken its own records for altitude, distance, and speed. It’s flown over 11 kilometers in distance and has reached the highest altitude and fastest flight on Mars
In April 2023, Ingenuity went silent for six days. The mission team spotted a signal during the helicopter’s expected wakeup window on sol 761. A second signal on sol 762 confirmed that Ingenuity was still alive
As of November 3, 2023, Ingenuity has completed 66 flights. This is 928 days after its first flight.
Ingenuity’s flights have demonstrated that it can fly in Mars’ thin atmosphere, which is only 0.6% as thick as Earth’s.
Ingenuity’s flights have included:
- First flight: April 19, 2021
- 50th flight: April 13, 2023
- 66th flight: November 3, 2023
Ingenuity’s flights have included:
- Hovering 10 feet (3 meters) for 30 seconds
- Flying horizontally over the surface for 1,171 feet (357 meters)
- Flying a total of 1 hour, 58 minutes and 48 seconds
Ingenuity’s longest flight was its 25th flight on April 8, 2022. It covered a distance of 2,310 feet (704 meters) in 143 seconds. The flight reached a maximum height of 39 feet (12 meters) and a top speed of 14.1 miles per hour (22.7 kilometers per hour).
Here are some of Ingenuity’s other long flights:
- Flight 9: Covered 2,051 feet (625 meters) in July 2021
- Flight 43: Covered 1,371 feet (418 meters) on April 29, 2022
- Flight 63: Covered 1,901 feet (579 meters) on October 19, 2023
The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s mission is to demonstrate that powered, controlled flight is possible on Mars. It’s also to show how aerial scouting can help explore Mars and other worlds
Ingenuity’s other missions include:
- Collecting samples from the surface in places the rover can’t reach
- Scouting areas of interest for the Perseverance rover
Ingenuity’s mission is independent of the rover’s science mission. It’s a “ride-along” mission and a tech demonstration
Here are some things to know about the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter:
- First powered flight Ingenuity was the first aircraft to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet.
- Milestones Ingenuity had a long list of milestones to pass before it could take off and land on Mars.
- Size Ingenuity is 19 inches tall and weighs 4 pounds.
- Rotors Ingenuity has four carbon-fiber blades that span 4 feet and spin at 2,400 rpm. This is about five times faster than a helicopter on Earth.
- Flights As of November 3, 2023, Ingenuity has made 66 successful flights. It has broken its own records for speed, distance, and altitude.
Ingenuity is part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. It arrived on Mars on February 18, 2021, and was deployed to the surface on April 3, 2021.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)designed the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter in collaboration with:
- AeroVironment
- NASA’s Ames Research Center
- Langley Research Center
Bob Balaram, an Indian citizen and IIT-Madras alumnus, was the Chief Engineer for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. He was responsible for the entire formulation, design, development, and test phases.
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