NASA completes investigation into Ingenuity Mars helicopter's final flight

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter crashed during its final flight in January due to navigation issues caused by featureless terrain. Engineers concluded that the helicopter's camera struggled to identify surface features, leading to a hard landing. Initial speculation suggested the rotor blades broke upon landing, but the investigation revealed they were damaged by bending loads. All four blades broke at a similar point, indicating they experienced similar stress during the landing. Despite the crash, Ingenuity remains operational and is now functioning as a weather station. It continues to collect data and communicate with the Perseverance rover, although contact may soon be lost as the rover moves out of range.