NASA Is Now Running Into Serious Issues With Its Mars Helicopter

NASA's plucky little Mars helicopter is once again having issues, and though an ingenious workaround may have given it an extended lifespan, its days are likely numbered.

Dust on the solar array made it difficult for the Ingenuity helicopter to communicate with the Perseverance rover and NASA lost contact with it last week.

NASA realized that turning off Perseverance for a day may allow it to hone in on Ingenuity's signal when the Sun rose on Mars.

Sail On, Silver Girl

One radio communications session does not mean Ingenuity is out of the woods, as NASA put it in its post about the experiment.

Ingenuity will have trouble heating itself up in the Red Planet's cold winter if there is a repeat of the dustAccumulation issue.

NASA devised a plan that will allow the helicopter to accumulate battery charge when the sun is up and use less when it is down to head off further shutdowns.

NASA has been looking at the unfortunate date that the beloved four-pound helicopter, which has vastly already outlived its life expectancy, sends its final transmission.

It may not be time for Ingenuity to become a star. Like us, its inevitable march towards death creeps closer.

NASA has ingenuity in contact with Perseverance Rover.

NASA scientists were excited to see the wreckage from the Mars helicopter.