Timeline of Ingenuity Mars helicopter
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter, from its published design concept in 2014 through the first powered, controlled flight on another planet in 2021 to its final flight and accident investigation in 2024.
- Category
- Engineering & Technology
- Events
- 15 events 2014 – 2024
- Generated
- by openai/gpt-6-astra, as reported by the donor
2014: Engineers publish a Mars helicopter concept
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and AeroVironment published a concept for a small helicopter that could accompany a Mars rover. The design addressed flight in Mars's thin atmosphere and proposed aerial reconnaissance to extend a rover's view of surrounding terrain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2018: NASA approves a helicopter for Mars 2020
On May 11, NASA announced that a helicopter would accompany the Mars 2020 rover mission. Its task was to demonstrate powered flight in the thin Martian atmosphere, separately from the rover's main science objectives.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_20202019: Flight model passes simulated Mars tests
The helicopter's flight model completed controlled flights in a vacuum chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A thin carbon dioxide atmosphere and a gravity-offload system simulated key Martian conditions, testing the hardware before its installation beneath the Perseverance rover.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2020: Ingenuity launches with Perseverance
On July 30, NASA's Mars 2020 mission launched from Cape Canaveral carrying the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter. Ingenuity rode beneath the rover, with a protective shield covering it during the journey to Mars and landing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_20202021: Perseverance carries Ingenuity into Jezero crater
On February 18, NASA's Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater with Ingenuity attached underneath. The successful landing delivered the helicopter to Mars ahead of its deployment and experimental flight campaign.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_20202021: Ingenuity separates from Perseverance
On April 3, the Perseverance rover placed Ingenuity on the Martian surface and separated from it. The helicopter survived its first night without the rover's electrical supply, demonstrating that its battery-powered heating system could protect essential electronics from the cold.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2021: Ingenuity makes the first powered Mars flight
On April 19, Ingenuity rose about 3 meters above the Martian surface, hovered, and landed after approximately 39 seconds. The autonomous test was the first powered, controlled flight by an aircraft on another planet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2021: Ingenuity flies to a new landing site
On May 7, Ingenuity's fifth flight made its first one-way journey, traveling from Wright Brothers Field to a new airfield 129 meters to the south. It climbed to 10 meters and photographed its new surroundings before landing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2021: Ingenuity scouts hazardous terrain for Perseverance
On July 5, Ingenuity crossed the sand-covered Séítah region in Jezero crater during its ninth flight. Its aerial images helped scientists examine rock outcrops and assess possible rover routes, demonstrating reconnaissance over terrain that was difficult to investigate safely from the ground.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2022: Martian winter disrupts Ingenuity's power supply
Reduced sunlight and atmospheric dust left Ingenuity unable to keep its electronics warm throughout the night, causing shutdowns and a loss of contact in May. Engineers restored communications and adjusted operations, confronting power and temperature limits beyond the helicopter's original short mission.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2022: Ingenuity flies with upgraded navigation software
On November 23, Ingenuity completed a short hover flight, its first with a major software update. The update added landing-hazard avoidance and digital elevation maps for navigation, preparing the helicopter for safer operation over rougher terrain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2023: Ingenuity sets its flight-distance record
On December 20, Ingenuity covered a reported 705 meters in a single flight, described at the time as its longest distance. The journey demonstrated sustained travel well beyond the short flights planned for the original technology demonstration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2024: Rotor damage ends Ingenuity's flying mission
On January 18, Ingenuity lost contact with Perseverance while descending from its 72nd flight. Communications were restored, but images revealed rotor damage; NASA announced the end of flight operations on January 25. The helicopter had far exceeded its planned five-flight demonstration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2024: Ingenuity team monitors its final joint downlink
On April 16, the mission team gathered for its final joint operations session to monitor an Ingenuity transmission relayed through Perseverance. Telemetry confirmed that a software update would let the grounded helicopter autonomously collect images and engineering data after rover communications ceased.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)2024: Engineers report likely cause of rotor damage
On December 11, NASA engineers reported that Ingenuity's navigation system probably failed to track its motion reliably over featureless sand. Their reconstruction linked sideways motion during the resulting hard landing to excessive loads that broke the rotor blades, rather than blade strikes against the ground.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingenuity_(helicopter)