NASA Probes Ingenuity’s Crash After 72 Mars Flights

[{"selector":"#anim-c04cc049-3e69-4b74-ac84-fb45be7b12e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1e329bca-4ec4-4127-ba2e-eef71b9f3538","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b67018c-7027-4fa1-8cde-2bf71c1996ce","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-29e88d91-e180-4825-814a-f3e1b503fa87","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-124.75728%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] NASA Probes Ingenuity’s Crash After 72 Mars Flights Karmactive Team

NASA has conducted the first-ever aircraft accident investigation on another planet after the crash of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 72nd flight on January 18, 2024.

[{"selector":"#anim-cb724f53-81bc-4a60-ac24-14982b4cf77b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-756ff0a9-c42f-4f9f-a93c-d5a4c5daacf1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8ed9bc0-c58e-4a89-b838-a5ba69804e4c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d4f4c553-cebd-4d06-a5a1-3e7ed69f49c6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-448be95e-4743-4d7c-8c96-2ed4aa1d3557","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: GPA Photo Archive (Flickr) CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Photo Source: GPA Photo Archive (Flickr) CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The crash resulted from a navigation system failure caused by featureless terrain in Mars' Jezero Crater.

[{"selector":"#anim-f8bb4e88-e2c9-40a3-882d-79a640d42132","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-90cfe322-5b85-4d79-b094-1bc1a94318b4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 244.87591%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c5dcf700-190b-4819-a837-e7d98a9b991e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ba18eb11-6576-47cf-b15c-601b48627a11","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2a3211b7-a0a7-46e1-b866-d0eadadcda56","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: The European Space Agency (Wikimedia Commons) CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO Photo Source: The European Space Agency (Wikimedia Commons) CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

The investigation was performed remotely, using limited data and post-crash imagery from over 100 million miles away.

[{"selector":"#anim-32d6ceac-b372-43b5-b751-721d4d71c0f3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0f46f031-bc13-4004-bc9f-35ed891f260c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4b2dd9ff-c0ea-44a0-a3a7-20478fa63771","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e5c26509-701e-49a2-b087-66460a8d5eaf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-53636165-5fef-405b-8afd-66a3e1774a4e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: FMT (AP news) CC BY 4.0 Photo Source: FMT (AP news) CC BY 4.0

Ingenuity's navigation system failed to detect sufficient surface features for tracking, leading to excessive horizontal velocities.

[{"selector":"#anim-96c0ada2-70a9-4a58-bc41-ac867ccf2754","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9ff3c174-526a-441d-b3cb-07d2c9beded0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 197.04866%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-772ba9a5-66e5-4553-ad58-e03c5aa9e297","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-114a426b-7387-4e16-94eb-9aaee4451888","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ea6516e3-812d-492b-8948-78cf938ef829","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (Flickr) CC BY-NC 2.0 Photo Source: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (Flickr) CC BY-NC 2.0

The crash caused all four rotor blades to snap under forces exceeding their design limits.

[{"selector":"#anim-b78e96d3-f85a-48ed-bdcf-1a906724fa62","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5a185f6a-adff-4b8a-ab5a-6a6240065eae","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-920750a8-3773-43a0-b70e-73708680eecc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b624f211-2772-487d-a062-7c0799125f3f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fa4003f8-cbb2-4b49-afb8-3690a135822d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (Flickr) CC BY-NC 2.0 Photo Source: NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (Flickr) CC BY-NC 2.0

Despite the accident, Ingenuity completed 72 flights, flying 30 times farther and operating far longer than its initial mission goals.

[{"selector":"#anim-00ad871e-43e1-4c46-997e-59b2493567ab","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ddef72e0-00e2-494c-ad5d-5dd36671425f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 197.04866%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-10232f50-7cb0-460e-a1ad-c76fdbe19313","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ef9a4943-73b2-4d94-9340-c1082588f522","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-96cb7b12-4ae8-4c6b-94fe-f3c0cd169453","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: FMT (NASA) CC BY 4.0 Photo Source: FMT (NASA) CC BY 4.0

The helicopter continues to function as a weather station, aiding the Perseverance rover.

[{"selector":"#anim-1c1ff259-ba9b-4650-a7e1-b5f3779acc69","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0d9d3543-ad8e-4e1b-a25b-6a1b247fe082","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-818e43b1-4db0-4a6a-89d8-17cc6161fea6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-16bd40db-23dd-4a29-83ee-63860adc3127","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8f1a6eb-a1c5-410e-8bf2-2b9c9e85f2ff","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Inara Pey (Flickr) CC BY-NC 2.0 Photo Source: Inara Pey (Flickr) CC BY-NC 2.0

Insights from Ingenuity’s crash are shaping the design of the Mars Chopper, a next-generation rotorcraft for scientific exploration.

[{"selector":"#anim-839b9ac0-0455-49fd-b58f-020a0fdac34c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3e705711-c5ba-4a10-9825-1d45179966d7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 197.04866%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d91519ea-0f43-4882-926b-45cd8f0fdc1e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-229a8a07-869b-40e1-80ab-e89016a784e4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2a81c37c-acdf-4c26-98dc-f74de7c0a6f6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: FMT (AP news) CC BY 4.0 Photo Source: FMT (AP news) CC BY 4.0

NASA’s investigation sets a precedent for aviation safety in extraterrestrial environments.

[{"selector":"#anim-0cc29a36-0fc4-4b71-8ff3-8693bf92897d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-272d4a75-2c7a-4d35-9d04-d523beb7f5dd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ee39c1e0-9f1d-4eac-8fae-09c10f56cb31","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-446bf0a9-476a-4d9c-b3a7-a23bb46a739e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-00db26b5-1af1-439b-8e9d-e57caf0502c8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: FMT (AFP) CC BY 4.0 Photo Source: FMT (AFP) CC BY 4.0

[{"selector":"#anim-2ee9fb95-fc15-40bc-808a-bb463a303b82","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60badd97-ecf3-4fed-a94d-decd32d9aed3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70f0db8f-4b11-4719-836d-804bcf6d59fa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9e5a0ec8-0fbb-4ac3-ab9c-1c6779984640","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e888b17a-bd2f-4d01-a209-66d289a44706","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.55555%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] NASA Eclipse 2024 Yields Corona, Ionosphere, and Gravity Wave Data Learn more