Mars Helicopter Continues Record Setting | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Sat, Dec 10, 2022

Mars Helicopter Continues Record Setting

Long After its Planned Retirement, Ingenuity Keeps Raising Eyebrows

Ingenuity, the small, flyweight helicopter operating on the barren Martian surface, bested its previous records with a 60.82-second flight this month. 

Until now, the 'little helo that could' managed to reach a peak altitude of 39 feet, with most of its vertical jaunts lofting it around 33 feet AGL. On its recent adventure for flight number 35, the 4-pound, 19-inch-tall machine managed to gain 46 feet of altitude, landing 49 feet away from its takeoff point. For flight 36, it managed to outdo its previous duration record with a 60.82-second repositioning flight.

The helicopter was sent aboard NASA's Perseverance rover in February 2021, designed to evaluate the feasibility of controlled flight on Mars. Initially, Ingenuity was expected to last a number of flights over the harsh martian terrain, but its surprisingly hardy construction allowed a dedicated team of specialists on earth to keep it running in a fine fettle long beyond its anticipated retirement. Through the frigid Martian winter, blinding dust storms, and harsh solar exposure, Ingenuity has refused to yield its post, allowing the team back home to push its limits and continue to refine the tech used to map and photograph never-before-seen parts of the local landscape. 

FMI: www.mars.nasa.gov

Advertisement

More News

KidVenture Educational Activities Lineup At EAA AirVenture 2025

Youth Explore With Hands-On Builds, RC Airplanes, Flight Sims, Much More KidVenture is located just north of the EAA Aviation Museum, at Pioneer Airport, and has arranged a myriad >[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.07.25)

“About nine decades ago, Amelia Earhart was recruited to Purdue, and the university president later worked with her to prepare an aircraft for her historic flight around the >[...]

Airborne 07.07.25: Sully v Bedford, RAF Vandalism, Discovery Moving?

Also: New Amelia Search, B737 Flap Falls Off, SUN ‘n FUN Unveiling, F-16 Record Captain Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who saved 155 people by safely landing an A320 in the Hu>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.08.25)

"It is critically important for North American flight safety that Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) violations are avoided. All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to >[...]

Airborne-NextGen 07.08.25: Joby in Dubai, Army Electra, Archer iin Abu Dhabi

Also: Hackers v Aviation, Discovery Moving?, Gogo Galileo HDX, EVE to Costa Rica Joby Aviation announced its electric air taxi successfully completed a series of VTOL wingborne tri>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC