Ingenuity (helicopter)

Ingenuity, nicknamed Ginny, is an autonomous helicopter which operated on the planet Mars. It was part of NASA's Mars 2020 mission. The helicopter arrived on the Martian surface attached to the underside of the Perseverance rover, which landed on February 18, 2021. The helicopter was deployed to the surface on April 3, 2021. Both the rover and the helicopter began their missions on Mars at the Octavia E. Butler Landing site near the western rim of the 28 mi (45 km) wide Jezero crater. In early 2024, the helicopter was damaged upon landing during its 72nd flight, and NASA announced its retirement, after a much longer life and many more missions than planned.