Last week, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars took a notable journey.

Weighing in at 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms), Ingenuity embarked on its 63rd flight on Mars, which took place on Thursday, October 19. During this flight, it covered an impressive distance of 1,901 feet (579 meters).

As announced by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the team responsible for overseeing Ingenuity’s mission, this marked the “longest distance since Flight 25.”

This update was conveyed via X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday, October 23, Space.com reported.

In February 2021, Ingenuity made its touchdown within Mars’ expansive 28-mile-wide (45 kilometers) Jezero Crater, accompanying NASA’s Perseverance rover.

Originally, the helicopter was tasked with demonstrating the feasibility of powered flight in Mars’ thin atmosphere, a goal it achieved through a series of five successful flights during the spring of 2021.

Following this accomplishment, NASA extended the mission, and now, Ingenuity has taken on the role of a scout for Perseverance, which is on a mission to search for signs of life and collect samples on the Red Planet.

Written by staff