NASA’s tiny helicopter on Mars, which has a fuselage about the size of a small toaster, has successfully flown above Mars for the 12th time.
Nearly half the year after the Perseverance rover landed on Mars, the Ingenuity helicopter is still going strong on the surface of Mars. The small flyer has done so well that it has been separated from Perseverance for some time as it scouts ahead on the red planet.
Genius completed its latest flight upon Monday, ascending to 10 meters and flying 450 meters across Mars to investigate what scientists call the “South Séítah” region of Mars. The helicopter was aloft for a total of 169 seconds during Monday’s flight. In its dozen flights, Ingenuity has now covered 2. 67 km, which is farther than Perseverance offers rolled during nearly six months.