Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
Nasa’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter has sent its final message to Earth. It will now collect information on the red planet’s ground, the space agency said last month.
The tiny helicopter, about the size of a tissue box, became the first to fly with its own power on another planet. It arrived on Mars on April 19, 2021, after hitching a ride under the belly of the Perseverance rover.
“A long goodbye,” Nasa said on social media site X.
“Ingenuity … will now serve as a stationary test bed, collecting data that could benefit future explorers of the Red Planet.”
The original plan was to prove flight was possible in Mars’ thin air with five flights.
Ingenuity did a lot more than that. It flew 72 times, spending over two hours in the air. It flew through dust storms, rough surfaces, and extreme cold temperatures. It kept working even when a sensor broke.
It also helped its companion rover, Perseverance, find clues of microbial life from billions of years ago. Back then, Mars was much wetter and warmer than today.
