NASA's Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter have marked the first anniversary since their launch into outer space.
The Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter are part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Mars 2020 Exploration Program that launched on July 30, 2020. The launch site was the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter touched down inside Mars' Jezero Crater last February 18.
NASA's Perseverance Rover to Collect 1st Mars Sample
For its part, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has completed 10 Mars flights since it landed on the Red Planet. Its first flight happened in April.
The Ingenuity helicopter was initially only supposed to have four flights, but NASA was so delighted with its performance that its mission was extended by the U.S. space agency.
The Ingenuity helicopter's recently-completed tenth flight also marked the first mile the helicopter has flown on Mars. According to an Instagram post by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ingenuity's first mile is a "new aerial record."
Prior to the latest flight, the Ingenuity's ninth flight saw the helicopter reaching an area called the Seitah Region. The Ingenuity helicopter then took over for the Perseverance rover since it was discovered that the Seitah Region was too treacherous for the rover.
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Written by Isabella James
