NASA’s small Mars helicopter has completed its final flight in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

On Thursday, the space agency declared that the helicopter called Ingenuity, weighing 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms), is unable to continue flying due to damage to its rotor blades. Although it is still standing and communicating with flight controllers, officials have confirmed that its mission, which cost $85 million, has come to an end.

Originally intended as a short-term tech demo, Ingenuity logged 72 flights over three years at Mars. It accumulated more than two hours of flight time, traveling 11 miles (18 kilometers). That’s more than 14 times farther than planned, according to NASA. It soared as high as 79 feet (24 meters) and hit speeds of up to 22.4 mph (36 kph).

NASA’s Lori Glaze stated that although they were aware this day would come, it doesn’t make it any less difficult to announce the conclusion of the mission. She also mentioned that it would be an understatement to say that it has exceeded their expectations.

In 2021, Ingenuity successfully landed on Mars after hitching a ride on NASA’s Perseverance rover. It played a crucial role as a scout for the rover and demonstrated the capability of powered flight in the sparse atmosphere of Mars.

NASA reported that images transmitted this week from its final flight revealed that at least one of its rotor blades sustained damage upon landing and may have made contact with the ground. As a result, the blades are now deemed unusable.

The helicopter reached a height of 40 feet (12 meters) during its last flight, briefly hovering before descending. It unexpectedly lost connection with the rover nearby, which was serving as its communication link, when it was only 3 feet (1 meter) above the ground. When communication was reestablished, it was discovered that there was damage. The cause of the communication failure is currently being investigated.

In 2022, NASA was motivated by Ingenuity’s successful mission to include two smaller helicopters in a future trip to Mars.

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Source: wral.com