Ingenuity has now spent more than 100 minutes over the surface of Mars - the unmanned helicopter has made its 57th flight

The Martian drone Ingenuity continues to fly over the surface of the Red Planet. The number of flights is about to reach 60.

Here's What We Know

Ingenuity recently made its 57th flight, although NASA originally planned that the drone would only perform half a dozen missions. This time, the unmanned helicopter covered 217 metres. The 57th flight took 2 minutes and 9 seconds, and in total, the UAV has flown for more than 102 minutes during its time on Mars.

Ingenuity arrived on the Red Planet in February 2021 along with the Perseverance rover. As the rover searches for signs of life at the bottom of a 45-kilometre crater, the helicopter is assisting it by conducting reconnaissance of the area.

Reconnaissance was not originally part of NASA's plans. The space agency wanted to use Ingenuity to test the possibility of flying rotorcraft in a thin atmosphere. The drone proved it, and NASA decided to find a new use for it.

Source: space