NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity to keep flying through September (at least)

Ingenuity‘s flying days have been extended once again. The miniature Martian chopper now has clearance to continue flying until at least September, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) announced today (March 15). As part of this extension, Ingenuity will also sport some special upgrades that will allow the 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) drone to do even more … Read more

Mars helicopter Ingenuity aces 21st Red Planet flight

The Ingenuity helicopter’s Red Planet flight tally is up to 21. The 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) NASA chopper just aced another Mars sortie, agency officials announced today (March 11). “#MarsHelicopter can’t be stopped! Ingenuity successfully completed its 21st flight on the Red Planet. The small rotorcraft traveled 370 meters [1,214 feet] at a speed of 3.85 … Read more

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has captured over 2200 photographs of Mars

The helicopter is providing scientists with information about Mars, reaching places the Perseverance rover cannot traverse Space 8 March 2022 By Chen Ly NASA’s Perseverance rover captured this image of the Ingenuity helicopter NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU NASA’s helicopter Ingenuity has taken more than 2200 photographs of Mars since arriving on the planet just over a year ago. … Read more

Ingenuity helicopter aces 20th Mars flight

NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity has now outflown its Red Planet expectations by a factor of four. The 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) Ingenuity landed on the floor of Jezero Crater with NASA’s life-hunting, sample-caching Perseverance rover on Feb. 18, 2021. The solar-powered chopper soon embarked on a five-flight technology-demonstrating mission designed to show that powered flight is … Read more

1 year later, Ingenuity helicopter still going strong on Mars

NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity was supposed to be a museum piece by now. The little chopper landed with NASA’s Perseverance rover on the floor of Jezero Crater one year ago today (Feb. 18), tasked with showing that aerial exploration is possible on Mars despite the planet’s thin atmosphere. Ingenuity did just that over the course … Read more

Black Hawk: Uncrewed helicopter takes to the skies for the first time

The UH-60 Black Hawk, workhorse of US Army aviation, was flown with no crew for the first time this week, after being fitted with an automated flying system Technology 9 February 2022 By David Hambling A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during its first uncrewed flight on 5 February 2022 Ted Carlson/Sikorsky Aircraft The US Defense … Read more

Mars helicopter Ingenuity aces 19th flight after historic Red Planet weather delay

The dust storm couldn’t keep NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity grounded forever. The 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) Ingenuity aced a 100-second sortie on Tuesday (Feb. 8), its 19th Red Planet flight overall but its first since Dec. 15. The flight had originally been targeted for Jan. 5. But on New Year’s Day, a big dust storm kicked … Read more

Mars helicopter Ingenuity gearing up for 19th Red Planet flight on Friday

NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity is poised to make its first flight of 2022. The 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) Ingenuity’s next Red Planet sortie — its 19th overall — will take place as early as Friday (Jan. 7), mission team members said in a blog post on Tuesday (Jan. 4).  Ingenuity will cover 207 feet (63 meters) … Read more

Biggest science news of 2021: Igenuity helicopter flies on Mars, the first time we’ve conducted powered flight on another planet

In April, the Ingenuity helicopter became the first vehicle ever to attempt powered flight on another planet. Theodore Tzanetos tells New Scientist of the exhilaration he felt leading the team Technology 15 December 2021 By New Scientist The Ingenuity helicopter NASA/JPL-Caltech OF ALL the craft that visited the Red Planet this year, perhaps the biggest … Read more

Mars helicopter Ingenuity aces 18th Red Planet flight (video)

NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity has soared through alien skies yet again. “The #MarsHelicopter keeps going, going, going! Ingenuity successfully completed its 18th flight, adding 124.3 seconds to its overall time aloft on the Red Planet,” officials with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, which manages Ingenuity’s pioneering mission, said via Twitter today (Dec. … Read more