“Less than a year ago we didn’t even know if powered, controlled flight of an aircraft at Mars was possible. Now, we are looking forward to Ingenuity’s involvement in Perseverance’s second science campaign. Such a transformation of mindset in such a short period is simply amazing, and one of the most historic in the annals of air and space exploration.”
Source: Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator of NASA’s science mission directorate, discussing Ingenuity's mission having been extended through the coming months, guaranteeing its operations through September of 2022. The little helicopter has survived the harsh Martian seasons and continued its brief flights in a display of endurance t