The 1.8 kg helicopter soared into the Martian sky once again on June 8 after experiencing issues during its flight at the end of May.
The Ingenuity helicopter captured a photo of its own shadow from its navigation camera during its seventh flight on June 8. (Image: NASA).
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA reported that Ingenuity’s latest flight encountered no issues. The helicopter lifted off at 10:54 PM on June 8, Hanoi time. According to plan, Ingenuity flew 106 meters south from its previous position at the bottom of Jezero Crater on the Red Planet, hovering in the air for nearly 63 seconds. The solar-powered helicopter landed at a new site for the fourth time since arriving on Mars alongside the Perseverance rover on February 18.
Ingenuity was released from the belly of the Perseverance rover on April 3, beginning a 50-day flight campaign designed to demonstrate powered flight in Mars’ thin atmosphere. Throughout this period, Ingenuity completed five flights, after which it began an extended mission to showcase its potential for scouting for the rover.
The first flight of the extended mission took place on May 22 but did not go entirely smoothly. Ingenuity encountered an issue that briefly interrupted the transfer of images from its navigation camera to its computer. However, the helicopter managed to resolve the problem and landed safely near its designated location.
The Perseverance rover recorded video and occasionally audio of Ingenuity’s first five flights. However, the car-sized rover had to cease its recording duties to focus on its scientific mission of searching for signs of ancient life on Mars and collecting samples for future return to Earth.
