NASA re-establishes contact with Mars Helicopter after unexpected comms dropout

After an unexpected communication dropout, NASA has successfully reestablished contact with the Mars Helicopter Ingenuity, the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) tweeted on Sunday.

On January 18, Ingenuity executed Flight 72 on the Red Planet as a quick pop-up vertical flight to check out the helicopter's systems, following an unplanned early landing during the 71st flight. However, the mission experienced unexpected communications dropout, following which the Perseverance rover was instructed to perform long-duration listening sessions for the helicopter's signal.

Data received by Perseverance from Ingenuity suggested that the helicopter successfully climbed to its assigned maximum altitude of 40 feet (12 meters). Before the helicopter's planned touchdown, communications between the helicopter and rover terminated early. 

Good news today: We've reestablished contact with the #MarsHelicopter after instructing @NASAPersevere to perform long-duration listening sessions for Ingenuity’s signal.The team is reviewing the new data to better understand the unexpected comms dropout during Flight 72. https://t.co/KvCVwhZ5Rk

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) January 21, 2024

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet, has completed 72 flights since first taking to the Martian skies above in April 2021, far exceeding its originally planned technology demonstration of up to five flights in the extremely thin Martian atmosphere.