NASA has captured an “otherworldly” image of a crashed Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, which was part of the Perseverance Rover mission. The helicopter, known as Ginny, was attached to the rover and completed 72 test flights between April 2021 and January 2024. Despite being small and lightweight, the helicopter achieved a historic first by completing a powered, controlled flight on another planet.
The debris field is believed to be from equipment used to help Ingenuity and Perseverance Rover land on Mars in 2021. The photos show an upright backshell and suspension lines, which appear intact despite being scattered across the Martian surface. The parachute canopy, which was the largest ever deployed on Mars, also shows no signs of damage from its deployment.
The discovery provides valuable insights into the Ingenuity helicopter’s flight performance and helps engineers better understand the challenges of landing equipment on another planet. NASA’s findings emphasize the ingenuity (no pun intended) of human engineering and technology capabilities.
Source: https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/mars-crashs-site-nasa-helicopter