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NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter officially ends its mission on Mars

A damaged rotor blade has permanently grounded the history-making robot

A image of the Ingenuity helicopter on the surface of Mars.

The Mars rover Perseverance shot this image of Ingenuity on August 2, 2023, just before the little helicopter took off for its 54th flight.

NASA

By Adam Mann

Updated

After nearly three years, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, the first spacecraft to undertake a powered flight on another world, has ended its mission. Officials at the agency confirmed on January 25 that the history-making quad-copter has sustained damage to one of its rotor blades and is no longer capable of flying.