NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Flies with Martian Debris Stuck in Its Foot

NASA has once again launched a successful demonstration to test the first powered flight on Mars. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was launched on July 30, 2020, and landed on the red planet on February 18, 2021, in the Jezero Crater.

Though, with the rotorcraft's camera, something peculiar has been caught at the bottom of one of Ingenuity's legs. It appeared to be a piece of fabric. Under normal circumstances, it would've been brushed off, but this isn't a normal circumstance. The helicopter was on an unpopulated planet.

NASA is calling these things FDO or Foreign Debris Objects. The debris flopped around as the Mars helicopter took flight but later fell off outside of the range of the navigation camera, according to CNET.

Where Did The Little Debris Come From?

CNET contacted NASA to ask about the debris, and was also in concern if it was a part of the rotorcraft that might've fallen off. NASA JPL responded, and said that all the telemetry from the flight and post-flight search and transfer are nominal and show no indication of vehicle damage.

Jezero is a windy place, as mentioned by CNET, and the fabric-like debris could've been from a number of objects that NASA has sent to Mars over the years. It is a more plausible explanation than Mars having litter floating around its surface.

More About The Ingenuity

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL. He also manages the technology demonstration project for NASA headquarters.

The Mars helicopter is now accompanying the Perseverance rover as it navigates around the Jezero Crater. Considering the environment around the crater, the fact that the Ingenuity and Perseverance are still intact proves just how resilient the machines are. They have been functioning long past their estimated life span.

The rotorcraft hitched a ride on Perseverance, and performed a series of test flights once the rover brought it to a suitable airfield location. The tests spanned over a 30-Martian-day window.

The Ingenuity completed its demonstration after three successful flights. It is a huge achievement for NASA since it was the first powered, controlled flight ever done out of the Earth. If you also consider the extremely thin atmosphere on Mars, it makes it all the more impressive.

What's Next for the Ingenuity?

Now that demonstration is complete which proves that flight is possible, the Mars helicopter moves on to the next phase, which is demonstrating flight operations that could be utilized by future aircraft.

Proving the possibility of a powered, controlled flight is a step in the right direction for NASA. Ingenuity will now test for aerial scouting, which, if successful, allows NASA to improve on future explorations on Mars and possibly other worlds.

Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said that "The Ingenuity technology demonstration has been a resounding success," based on NASA's official website.

The next phase for the Mars rotorcraft will bring more precision maneuvering, greater use of its aerial-observation capabilities, and more risk for the vehicle.