An illustration of NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars. In April 2021, Ingenuity grew to become the primary plane to finish a powered, managed flight on one other planet.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

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NASA/JPL-Caltech

An illustration of NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars. In April 2021, Ingenuity grew to become the primary plane to finish a powered, managed flight on one other planet.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA is retiring Ingenuity, its mini Mars helicopter, every week after it was broken throughout its 72nd flight. The spindly overachiever made historical past as the primary plane to finish a powered, managed flight on one other planet.

“The little helicopter that could — and it kept saying ‘I think I can, I think I can’ — well, it’s taken its last flight,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a video announcement on Thursday.

At least certainly one of Ingenuity’s carbon-fiber rotor blades was broken when the helicopter was coming down for touchdown throughout a check flight on Jan. 18, Nelson mentioned. Around that point, NASA additionally lost contact with Ingenuity. Communications have been restored the subsequent day, and the reason for the blackout continues to be below investigation, according to the space agency. The company can also be investigating the chance that the injury was brought on by a blade putting the bottom. Its carbon-fiber rotor blades have enabled Ingenuity to fly by means of the extraordinarily skinny and chilly Martian ambiance.

But that 40-foot-high journey final week ended up being the helicopter’s final.

Since it arrived on the planet virtually three years in the past, Ingenuity has surpassed expectations.

“It flew farther and higher than we ever thought possible,” Nelson mentioned. “What started as a technology demonstration with plans for only up to five flights has now completed a remarkable 72 flights on Mars.”

Ingenuity landed on Mars in February 2021. Its largest accomplishment — a twenty first century “Wright Brothers moment” for extraterrestrial flight, as NASA calls it — got here two months later when, on April 19, 2021, the 4-pound rotorcraft (1.5 kilos on Mars) made the first powered, controlled flight on Mars.

Its work did not cease there. Ingenuity has been an aerial scout for the Mars rover Perseverance, conducting reconnaissance for scientists to pave the way in which for safer human and drone exploration on Mars and different planets.