Ingenuity climbed to a record altitude during its 59th flight over the surface of Mars

The unmanned Ingenuity helicopter continues to fly over the surface of Mars, escorting the Perseverance rover. The drone recently made its 59th flight, 54 more than originally planned.

Here's What We Know

Project Ingenuity aims to test whether rotorcraft can operate in Martian conditions. The helicopter has been on the Red Planet for more than two and a half years and reached a record altitude on September 16, 2023.

The 1.8-kilogram UAV made its 59th flight, in which it managed to reach a height of 20 metres, which is 2 metres higher than the previous record. The mission lasted for 2 minutes 22.59 seconds. This was reported by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Since 2021, Ingenuity has travelled 13,304 metres. The total duration of 59 flights was more than 106 minutes. NASA notes that the 59th mission consisted only of gaining altitude. The helicopter did not move in the horizontal plane.

Source: NASA