NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Finally Completes 22nd Flight on Mars As Curiosity Rover Checks Out New Terrain

NASA's Mars Ingenuity spacecraft completed its 22nd mission on the Red Planet after Curiosity Rover entered a new Martian terrain.

The helicopter managed to stay in the air for 101.4 seconds. It achieved a maximum altitude of 33 feet (10 meters) during its brief visit to Martian regions.

(Photo : NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured this shot as it hovered over the Martian surface on April 19, 2021, during the first instance of powered, controlled flight on another planet. It used its navigation camera, which autonomously tracks the ground during flight.

NASA Ingenuity Helicopter Finishes 22nd Martian Flight

NASA's major purpose for using tiny planes, according to Space.com, is to demonstrate that exploring Mars is doable. The space agency continued to launch additional flights for the helicopter as soon as various operations began. It is the scout for Perseverance's rover.

The Ingenuity helicopter searches for prospective observation places on Earth's neighboring planet to view numerous things at a distance. The researchers said the observations made by Ingenuity helped determine the ideal flying path.

The helicopter had already completed its 21st trip, which lasted roughly 39 minutes and took place at the height of 15,247 feet (4,647 meters). The space travel flight log can be found here.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's four-pound Ingenuity helicopter is expected to be utilized in future trips. Its 22nd flight may not be the last, as another mission might be launched in September.

According to Science Times last month, the Martian helicopter toured the planet for around 130.3 seconds at a total height of 391 meters (1,283 feet). Ingenuity traveled at 9.9 mph to a distant region during the machine's "Flight 20."

The environment on Mars, according to JPL, varies.

ALSO READ: NASA Mars Ingenuity Helicopter Continues To Fly Until September After Capturing Over 2,000 Photos

Curiosity Rover Checks Out New Alligator-Like Terrain

According to another CNET article, NASA's Curiosity rover recently encountered a strange environment that resembles a reptile scale, specifically the back of an alligator. It was after the spacecraft reached Mount Sharp, the crater's highest point.

This rocky structure discovered on Mars has piqued the curiosity of scientists thus far. When the image was closed up, the crew was startled to see how harsh the ground was.

This area was described as "gator-back" terrain by Lauren Edgar of the US Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center.

At the present, researchers are still looking for clues about the region's original water supply. Curiosity aids scientists in their search for possible historical traces on arid worlds.

According to CNET, the rover is presently wandering the Greenheugh pediment, a rocky region littered with eroded rocks.

Curiosity discovered and photographed a stunning "rocky" flower creation on Mars earlier this month.

According to Science Times, this might be linked to the early theory that water existed on Mars a million years ago.