A rare aircraft having problems that Boeing did not manufacture, the first manmade aircraft to take flight from a foreign planet, NASA’s Ingenuity on Mars, has been permanently grounded after one of its rotors was damaged, Space.com reports.
Powered by six solar-powered batteries, the four-pound machine landed on Mars with the Perseverance rover in February 2021, making 72 flights covering more than 10 linear miles and reaching a maximum speed of 24 mph.
“That remarkable helicopter flew higher and farther than we ever imagined and helped NASA do what we do best — make the impossible, possible,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson noted in a statement. “Through missions like Ingenuity, NASA is paving the way for future flight in our solar system and smarter, safer human exploration to Mars and beyond.”