NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Successfully Establishes Communication with NASA Mars Exploration

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter successfully completed its 52nd flight on April 26, despite a communications dropout during landing. The helicopter lost contact with mission controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory due to a hill blocking communication between the helicopter and the Perseverance rover. However, contact was re-established on June 28 when the rover crested the hill. The goal of Flight 52 was to reposition the helicopter and capture images of the Martian surface. If Ingenuity’s health checks continue to go well, it may fly again within the next few weeks. The target for Flight 53 is an interim airfield to the west, followed by a westward flight to a new base of operations near a rocky outcrop of interest. Ingenuity was built by JPL and is supported by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

Courtesy of Nasa