NASA’s diminutive Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, has completed its final flight, as announced by the space agency on Thursday.

Due to rotor blade damage, the 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) helicopter is unable to continue flying.

Despite maintaining an upright position and staying in contact with flight controllers, its $85 million mission has officially concluded.

Initially designed as a short-term technological demonstration, Ingenuity surpassed expectations by completing 72 flights over three years on Mars.

It accumulated over two hours of flight time, covering a distance of 11 miles (18 kilometers), more than 14 times the originally planned distance, the Associated Press reported.

The helicopter reached heights of up to 79 feet (24 meters) and achieved speeds of up to 22.4 mph (36 kph).

Ingenuity hitched a ride on NASA’s Perseverance rover, landing on Mars in 2021. It served as a scout for the rover and successfully demonstrated powered flight in the thin Martian atmosphere.

Images transmitted from its final flight revealed damage to one or more rotor blades during landing, potentially impacting the surface.

NASA has confirmed that the blades are no longer functional.

Written by B.C. Begley