The Ingenuity, the Mars helicopter initially only meant to fly five flights, has been cleared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to fly through September.
As of press time, the helicopter has 21 flights under its belt and, thanks to the clearance, that number is expected to grow. Its next flight is scheduled to take place by March 19.
The Ingenuity is expected to reunite with its rover companion, the Perseverance, to help it with its mission. However, in order for the helicopter to get there, it will need to successfully complete more flights as well as been upgraded.
Ingenuity Helicopter to Fly in Mars Through September
The Ingenuity helicopter will be continuing its Martian flights until September at the very least. According to a report by Space, the announcement was made by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Per the report, "As part of this extension, Ingenuity will also sport some special upgrades that will allow the 4-pound (1.8 kilograms) drone to do even more daring flights in support of the Perseverance rover mission that landed with it in February 2021."
With the latest extenstion in its mission, the Ingenuity is expected to help out its Martian rover buddy, the Perseverance, in exploring what used to be a river delta. The said river delta is located in the Red Planet's Jezero Crater.
However, the team behind the helicopter has noted that in order for the Ingenuity to get to where the Perseverance is, it will need important upgrades.
The 22nd Flight
As previously mentioned, the Ingenuity has now successfully completed a total of 21 flights. So when can we expect for the next flight to take place?
According to the report by Space, the 22nd flight of the Martian helicopter is set to happen on March 19 at the latest. In order to reach the river delta, JPL said that the helicopter will need to successfully complete two to three more flights.
The Ingenuity is expected to fly a quarter of a mile for its next flight. To provide context regarding how big of a feat this is, the Ingenuity only flew for 39.1 seconds during its first flight, which took place in April last year.
What Happens When Ingenuity Reaches the River Delta
According to NASA's JPL, "Upon reaching the delta, Ingenuity's first orders will be to help determine which of two dry river channels Perseverance should take when it's time to climb to the top of the delta."
From there, the Ingenuity is expected to help the Perseverance find science targets for closer examination. It may even be tasked to make examinations itself, especially in locations that are out of the Mars rover's reach.
It may also be tasked with looking for potential landing zones for NASA's Mars Sample Return program.
