The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that it is temporarily suspending flights to Mars by the Ingenuity helicopter as part of a research mission.
This is stated in the press release of the department.
“Itʼs dust season and winter on Mars, which means thereʼs more dust in the air and less sunlight to charge Ingenuityʼs batteries. The dust level is expected to subside by the end of July, so the team decided to give the helicopterʼs batteries a break for a few weeks and restore their daily charge level," NASA said. Ingenuity is expected to resume flights around early August, weather permitting.
- Ingenuityʼs Mars lander has taken to the Martian sky 29 times, far exceeding expectations and giving scientists a new vantage point on the Red Planet. It was assumed that he would be able to ascend to the sky only 5 times.
- On April 5, 2021, the American Mars rover Perseverance successfully landed the Ingenuity helicopter, which was fixed under the rover, on the surface of the Red Planet.
- On July 6, 2021, Ingenuitʼs Martian helicopter made its longest flight over Mars.