NASA investigates Ingenuity helicopter's final flight on Mars

NASA is finalizing an investigation into the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter's final flight, which occurred on January 18, 2024. The report will detail its journey as the first aircraft to fly on another planet and the events leading to its mission's end. Ingenuity was designed for five flights but completed 72 over nearly three years. The investigation found that its navigation system failed due to a lack of surface texture, causing a hard landing that damaged its rotor blades and led to a loss of communication. Despite being grounded, Ingenuity still provides data to the Perseverance rover weekly. This information aids future Mars missions, including the development of a new rotorcraft concept called "Mars Chopper," which aims to explore remote areas autonomously.