Mars helicopter Ingenuity soars on 22nd Red Planet flight

On its 22nd Red Planet flight, NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity soared successfully.

The Ingenuity stayed aloft for 101.4 seconds and reached a maximum altitude of 33 feet (10 meters), according to a Monday (March 21) tweet by NASA.

The Perseverance rover and Ingenuity landed together on Mars. NASA officials have said that Jezero is a great place to explore for life-hunting, sample-caching and Perseverance.

The Ingenuity helicopter is still on Mars a year later.

The original five-flight mission was designed to show that aerial exploration is possible on Mars. After this success, NASA granted Ingenuity a mission extension, during which the rotorcraft has been serving as a scout for Perseverance.

Mission team members have said that Ingenuity's observations are helping them pick the best route, and that the rover's handler is steering Perseverance toward an accessible part of the ancient delta.

During its first 21 flights, Ingenuity flew a total of 15,247 feet (4,647 m) and stayed in the air for nearly 39 minutes.

JPL officials have said that the numbers should continue to grow beyond the additions provided by Sunday's flight, and that NASA recently extended the helicopter's operations again, through at least this September.

Mike Wall is the author of Out There, a book about the search for alien life. You can follow him on social media. Follow us on social media.