NASA’s Mars helicopter captures a spectacular image

In a bittersweet farewell to the historic Mars helicopter Ingenuity, NASA has released an aerial image taken during one of its last flights over the Martian desert. Despite suffering irreparable damage on its 72nd flight, Ingenuity managed to capture a breathtaking view of the Red Planet.

This is how the Mars helicopter captured this moment in its last breath

The image shows vast sand dunes, rock-covered ridges and mountains stretching across the Martian landscape in the distance. Remarkably, in the upper left corner of the image is a snapshot of one of Ingenuity’s legs, signaling the end of the experimental helicopter.

The photo was taken from about 12 meters above the ground on December 22, 2023, less than a month before the end of Ingenuity’s mission. The final flight, marred by a hard landing, revealed that the flowing Martian dunes played a role in the helicopter’s demise.

Ingenuity relies on software to determine its movements, generally using landforms such as rocks to plot a course for itself. However, the flat nature of the sandy terrain in the area prevented it from successfully plotting a course, and the Mars helicopter made a difficult landing.

Ingenuity’s nearly three-year extravehicular flight mission exceeded expectations. Initially designed as a demonstrator in the hope of proving the possibility of flight on Mars with five flights, Ingenuity has completed a total of 72 flights. Serving as an exploration vehicle and planetary explorer, the Mars helicopter has played an important role in reshaping our understanding of Mars and demonstrated that flight is possible in the planet’s thin atmosphere.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his admiration for Ingenuity’s achievements, saying: “This remarkable helicopter has flown higher and farther than we ever imagined and helped NASA do what we do best – make the impossible possible.”