NASA Ingenuity Helicopter Successfully Completes 5th Flight on One-Way Trip [WATCH]

The Ingenuity Mars helicopter safely flew to a new location after four historical trips. The 4-pound chopper took a one-way trip to its new airfield on Friday.

Ingenuity took off from Wright Brothers Field, much like previous flights, except it's not coming back.

Space.com said the flight took off at 3:26 p.m. ET, or 12:33 p.m. local Mars time. Around 7:31 p.m. ET, Ingenuity shared the data back to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Ingenuity rose 16 feet (5 meters) into the air and soared 423 feet (129 meters) south this time. This retraces the route the helicopter took while scouting for the next spot on its fourth flight.

The rotorcraft then climbed to a new height record of 33 feet (10 meters) to photograph the new airfield in color and black-and-white.

Ingenuity touched down in its new home after a 108-second flight.

"The fifth flight of the Mars Helicopter is another great achievement for the agency," said Bob Pearce, associate administrator for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, in a statement posted on JPL's website.

"The continuing success of Ingenuity proves the value of bringing together the strengths of diverse skill sets from across the agency to create the future, like flying an aircraft on another planet," Pearce said.

Here's How Ingenuity Sounded While Flying

The Perseverance rover, which has been filming and photographing the helicopter's flights, has also shared audio from Ingenuity's fourth flight, which was recorded using the rover's microphones.

This is the first time the sounds of a different spacecraft have been captured by a spacecraft on another planet. When parked 262 feet (80 meters) away, Perseverance could pick up the helicopter's audible hum.

Ingenuity has shown that powered, controlled flight is possible on another planet during its aerial excursions. Every challenge to fly faster, longer, and farther than the previous flight was also met by the Mars helicopter.

Josh Ravich, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter mechanical engineering lead at JPL, said in a blog post on NASA's website that the Wright Brothers did the same thing about the helicopter.

He went on to say that the brother didn't give up after one good flight with Flyer I, or even after the other three flights they took that fateful December day in 1903.

Ravich claims that the Ingenuity team has gone from the Wright brothers of 1903 to the Wright brothers of 1908 in three weeks and four flights, rather than years.

In 1904 and 1905, the Wright brothers used upgraded versions of the Flyer to fly higher and lower, and in 1908, they brought their first air passenger.

Ingenuity not only makes history, but it also has a history of its own. A piece of muslin the size of a postage stamp that once covered one of the Wright brothers' Flyer 1's wings is connected to a wire underneath the helicopter's solar panel. While the Ingenuity was being constructed on Earth, Ravich and test engineer and teammate Chris Lefler added the substance to it.

What's Next For NASA's Ingenuity Rover

According to the Associated Press, the helicopter's first step is now complete. The Perseverance rover on Mars could now begin its brand-new quest. It will be on the lookout for evidence of microbial life on Mars.

The core samples will be collected before returning to Earth.

Check out more news and information on Space on Science Times.