NASA’s little helicopter on Mars has logged its last flight

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA says its little Mars helicopter has flown its last flight. The space agency announced Thursday that the 4-pound chopper named Ingenuity can no longer fly because of rotor blade damage, and its mission is officially over. Ingenuity logged 72 flights over three years at Mars. It accumulated more than two hours of flight time, traveling more than 14 times farther than planned. The helicopter hitched a ride on NASA’s Perseverance rover, landing on Mars in 2021. Ingenuity’s success prompted NASA in 2022 to add two mini helicopters to a future Mars mission.