NASA's Mars helicopter has now flown successfully 8 times, beaming back photos that look like a sci-fi film

Morgan McFall-JohnsenJun 24, 2021, 01:54 IST

The Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, sitting where the Perseverance rover dropped it, April 5, 2021.NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter flew over the red planet's surface for the eighth time on Monday - it zipped 525 feet over uncharted ground then landed safely in a new airfield.
The space drone has far exceeded NASA's expectations, flying higher than engineers thought possible and surviving three high-risk landings.
Ingenuity is on an extended mission to keep testing operations that NASA may want to conduct with future space helicopters.
Photos from Ingenuity's eight flights so far reveal the rotorcraft's traveling shadow, a set of rover-wheel tracks in the red Martian dust, and the consequences of a computer glitch that sent the helicopter pitching back and forth.

On Monday, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter completed its eighth flight on Mars.

The Perseverance rover captured the Ingenuity helicopter before (left) and after (right) spinning its rotor blades. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

The tissue-box-sized space drone has come a long way since the Perseverance rover dropped it onto the Martian surface in April.

The Perseverance rover took a selfie with Ingenuity before its first flight in April. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Seán Doran

Ingenuity made history on April 19 when it took flight for the first time. It hovered 10 feet above the Martian surface for about 30 seconds.

Mastcam-Z, an imager aboard the Perseverance rover, captured Ingenuity taking off and landing for its first flight on April 19, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

A camera on the Perseverance rover captured the flight in exquisite color.

The Perseverance rover captured Ingenuity's first flight on Mars, April 19, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Ingenuity snapped its own photos, too, using a color camera on the bottom of the helicopter.

Ingenuity photographed its own shadow on April 9, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech

A black-and-white navigation camera also captures images as the chopper flies.

Ingenuity photographed its own shadow just above the Martian surface - along with some tracks from the Perseverance rover - during its third flight, April 25, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Ingenuity's color camera captured mid-flight photos of Perseverance's tracks in the dust below.

Ingenuity photographed Perseverance's tracks, and its own shadow, during its second flight, April 22, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech

The camera even spotted Perseverance during Ingenuity's third flight.

NASA's Perseverance rover is visible in the upper-left corner of this image from Ingenuity's third flight on Mars, April 25, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Perseverance watched Ingenuity's first five flights, then drove away to start on its own science mission: searching for signs of ancient alien life.

A zoomed-in view of Perseverance from the photo Ingenuity captured during its third flight. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Before moving on, Perseverance captured video footage of Ingenuity's flights. Its microphone even picked up the sound of the helicopter's spinning blades.

Meanwhile, Ingenuity's navigation camera snapped photos throughout each flight, which combine to offer stop-motion-style footage of its shadow traveling over Martian ground.

NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter took these images on its fourth Mars flight, on April 30, 2021, using its black-and-white navigation camera. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Meanwhile, Ingenuity's navigation camera snapped photos throughout each flight, which combine to offer stop-motion-style footage of its shadow traveling over Martian ground.

Ingenuity carried out its first three flights so flawlessly that NASA gave it a new, extended mission.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter mid-air on April 22, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Over eight flights, the helicopter has pushed itself further, faster, and higher. It has landed safely in uncharted territory three times.

Ingenuity's color camera captured the ground below in sharp detail during a flight on May 7, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Ingenuity even survived a mid-air error. During its sixth flight, a glitch made the helicopter tilt wildly back and forth.

Ingenuity took this image of Mars from 33 feet in the air during its sixth flight, May 22, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech

The error made Ingenuity roll and pitch, leaning more than 20 degrees from one side to the other. But it still managed to land safely.

This sequence of images - taken on May 22, 2021 by Ingenuity's navigation camera - depicts the last 29 seconds of the rotorcraft’s sixth flight, when it began tilting back and forth. NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA expected Ingenuity to crash long ago, but it still has more flights ahead.

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, photographed on Mars by the Perseverance rover’s rear Hazard Camera on April 4, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech

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NASA's Mars helicopter has now flown successfully 8 times, beaming back photos that look like a sci-fi film

On Monday, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter completed its eighth flight on Mars.

The tissue-box-sized space drone has come a long way since the Perseverance rover dropped it onto the Martian surface in April.

Ingenuity made history on April 19 when it took flight for the first time. It hovered 10 feet above the Martian surface for about 30 seconds.

A camera on the Perseverance rover captured the flight in exquisite color.

Ingenuity snapped its own photos, too, using a color camera on the bottom of the helicopter.

A black-and-white navigation camera also captures images as the chopper flies.

Ingenuity's color camera captured mid-flight photos of Perseverance's tracks in the dust below.

The camera even spotted Perseverance during Ingenuity's third flight.

Perseverance watched Ingenuity's first five flights, then drove away to start on its own science mission: searching for signs of ancient alien life.

Before moving on, Perseverance captured video footage of Ingenuity's flights. Its microphone even picked up the sound of the helicopter's spinning blades.

Meanwhile, Ingenuity's navigation camera snapped photos throughout each flight, which combine to offer stop-motion-style footage of its shadow traveling over Martian ground.

Ingenuity carried out its first three flights so flawlessly that NASA gave it a new, extended mission.

Over eight flights, the helicopter has pushed itself further, faster, and higher. It has landed safely in uncharted territory three times.

Ingenuity even survived a mid-air error. During its sixth flight, a glitch made the helicopter tilt wildly back and forth.

The error made Ingenuity roll and pitch, leaning more than 20 degrees from one side to the other. But it still managed to land safely.

NASA expected Ingenuity to crash long ago, but it still has more flights ahead.