Ingenuity Mars helicopter bags prestigious aviation award

The team behind NASA's plucky Ingenuity helicopter has won another award.

The helicopter was the first aircraft to achieve controlled flight on another planet.

At a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 9, the National Aeronautic Association presented NASA's team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with the prestigious Robert J. Several photos were taken from the event.

Yesterday, the #MarsHelicopter team accepted the prestigious Collier Trophy, awarded by the National Aeronautic Association for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America.

Please help us congratulate the Ingenuity team! 👏 pic.twitter.com/rEM5Uh1XQC

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) June 10, 2022

Each year, the trophy is presented for the best achievement in Aeronautics or Astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles.

Teddy Tzanetos, JPL's team lead for the helicopter, said "nearly every step we took on this journey moved into unexplored territory and many didn't believe we'd even make it into the air."

Thinking back to waiting nervously to see if our first sortie would be a success, it's incredible to be where we are today. I'm proud of everyone who worked so hard to realize the vision of the Collier trophy.

After its first flight on the red planet, Ingenuity was only expected to take a further four flights. The team has been able to continue with its work despite the fact that it did well during its early missions.

The Ingenuity helicopter is tall and heavy. The farthest flight to date is 2,325 feet, with the same mission seeing it reach a record speed.

Ingenuity has been able to assist the team overseeing NASA's ground based Perseverance rover by using its onboard camera to perform exploration flights over areas of interest as well as checking the safest routes for the rover to take across the rocky martian surface.

It was established more than a century ago to highlight achievements in the field of aviation. Previous recipients of the award include Orville Wright in 1913 for developing the automatic stabilizer, Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager for his X-1 rocket plane mission in 1947, and the astronauts of NASA's Apollo voyages to the moon five.

The Ingenuity team has received awards before. Its growing list of awards include recognition from the Space Foundation for achievements in space exploration, and a prize from the Vertical Flight Society for "outstanding improvement in fundamental helicopter technology."

There is a recommended video.