NASA sent its Ingenuity helicopter to Mars nearly two years ago, and it has flown 35 times above the Martian surface since.
Last week, the helicopter broke another record.
Ingenuity flew a record 46 feet above the Martian surface, reaching a speed of 6.7 mph. It spent 52 seconds flying over the Martian surface. It was the first time the helicopter topped 40 feet over the Martian surface.
Lifting a helicopter off the Martian surface is an incredible feat. Helicopter needs lift from the air to get off the ground. The Martian atmosphere has about 1% of the pressure as Earth’s atmosphere.
The extremely cold temperatures can also cause instruments to crack.
Also, given Mars’ distance from Earth, the helicopter has to be flown autonomously.
