Mars Helicopter Sets New Distance Record During 25th Flight

It’s been less than a year since NASA successfully conducted the first drone flight on another planet. Mars helicopter Ingenuity has been performing above expectations since then and is still operational. Recently, the drone even made its 25th flight above the surface of the red planet. A new distance record was set: the device covered no less than 704 meters.

25 flights for Mars helicopter

Initially, the idea was that the Mars helicopter Ingenuity, which traveled to Mars aboard the Mars rover Perseverance, would make only a few flights. The main goal was to investigate whether it is even possible to conduct drone flights in the rarefied Martian atmosphere. Only at a later stage would it be investigated whether a Mars drone could be used to explore the planet from the air and to scout suitable routes for a robot on the ground.

On April 19, 2021, a month after arriving on Mars, Ingenuity made history by making the first successful drone flight on another planet. That…