A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
The interior of a new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter is displayed after arriving at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
The interior of a new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter is displayed after arriving at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
The interior of a new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter is displayed after arriving at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. A second H135 helicopter also was delivered on Sept. 30, and a third is expected to arrive in early 2021. The three H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year, and once the third arrives, the fleet’s upgrade will be complete.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
A new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopter arrives at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. In the distance, a second one can be seen arriving. The two H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters can be seen in the distance, arriving at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 30, 2020. The H135 helicopters will replace the Bell Huey 2 security aircraft in service now, maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135s later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
This illustration shows NASA astronauts working on the surface of Mars. A helicopter similar to the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is airborne at left. Ingenuity is being carried aboard the Perseverance rover; it will be deployed to the Martian surface in the weeks after landing to test whether future helicopters could accompany robotic and human missions. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24032
The flight model of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23882
This image of the flight model of NASA's Mars Helicopter was taken on Feb. 14, 2019, in a cleanroom at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The aluminum base plate, side posts, and crossbeam around the helicopter protect the helicopter's landing legs and the attachment points that will hold it to the belly of the Mars 2020 rover. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23151
This illustration depicts three different of models of NASA's solar-powered Mars helicopter. In the upper right is the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, currently operating at Jezero Crater. Depicted in the foreground is one of two Sample Recovery Helicopters slated to fly to Mars as part of the Mars Sample Return Campaign. NASA is developing the Sample Recovery Helicopters to serve as backups to the agency's Perseverance rover in transporting sample tubes to the Sample Return Lander. In the upper center of image is the Mars Science Helicopter concept. A proposed follow-on to Ingenuity, the six-rotor Mars Science Helicopter could be used during future Mars missions to serve as an aerial scout and carry between 4.5 and 11 pounds (2 to 5 kilograms) of payload, including science instruments, to study terrain that rovers can't reach. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25338
The NASA Airborne Instrumentation for Real-world Video of Urban Environments (AIRVUE) sensor pod is attached to the base of a NASA helicopter at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida in April 2024 before a flight to test the pod’s cameras and sensors. The AIRVUE pod will be used to collect data for autonomous aircraft like air taxis, drones, or other Advanced Air Mobility aircraft.
The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
The three Bell Huey 2 helicopters utilized by Kennedy Space Center’s Flight Operations team for security purposes are photographed inside the Launch and Landing Facility hangar on Sept. 30, 2020. Two new Airbus H135 (T3) helicopters arrived at the Florida spaceport on Sept. 30 to replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft in service now. The new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities. The team expects to fully transition to flying the two H135 aircraft later this year. A third is expected to arrive in early 2021, and with its arrival, will complete the fleet’s upgrade.
Vaneeza Rupani (inset), a junior at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport, Alabama, came up with the name Ingenuity for NASA's Mars Helicopter (an artist's impression of which is seen here) and the motivation behind it for NASA's "Name the Rover" essay contest. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23883
Members of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team are pictured with the Collier Trophy during the Robert J. Collier Dinner in Washington on June 9, 2022. The team was awarded the 2021 Collier Trophy "for the first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet, thereby opening the skies of Mars and other worlds for future scientific discovery and exploration," the award citation states. This historic trophy – which is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington – is awarded annually by the National Aeronautic Association "for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year." https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25324
A model of NASA's Mars Science Helicopter concept is shown in this photo. This helicopter concept is a more capable proposed follow-on to NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which arrived at the Red Planet in the belly of the agency's Perseverance rover in February 2021. The six-rotor Mars Science Helicopter could be used during future Mars missions to serve as an aerial scout, carrying between 4.5 and 11 pounds (2 to 5 kilograms) of payload, including science instruments, and studying terrain that rovers can't reach. It remains in early conceptual and design stages. The proposed design is the product of collaboration between JPL, NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, and AeroVironment Inc. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25661
This illustration shows a conceptual design of a Mars Science Helicopter, a proposed follow-on to NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Researchers are considering how helicopters could be used in future missions. In addition to scouting, such a helicopter could carry science instruments to study terrain rovers can't reach. The proposed design is the product of collaboration between NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, and AeroVironment, Inc. A helicopter with this particular design could carry 4.5 to 11 pounds (2-5 kilograms) of science payload. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24729
The third and final Airbus H135 helicopter touches down at the Launch and Landing Facility runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 26, 2021, completing the upgraded fleet of aircraft used for security operations. The Airbus H135 helicopters replace the Bell Huey 2 aircraft that had been in service at Kennedy for the last 30 years. Maintained by the Flight Operations team, these new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.
Members from NASA's Mars Helicopter and Mars 2020 teams stand behind the Mars Helicopter. The The image was taken on July 30, 2019 in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility's High Bay 1 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23317
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter's was captured after landing on May 7, 2021, by the Mastcam-Z imager, one of the instruments aboard the agency's Perseverance rover. The helicopter ascended to a new height record of 33 feet (10 meters) and flew 424 feet (129 meters) to a new landing site. This was the helicopter's fifth flight, and the first time the helicopter made a one-way flight. It was airborne a total of 108 seconds. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24648
On Oct. 27, 2020, in front of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Bell Huey 2 (left) and Airbus H135 helicopters used for security operations at the Florida spaceport perform one flight together before the Hueys are retired from their service. The Airbus H135s are replacing the three Bell Huey 2 aircraft maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. Kennedy received two of the H135 aircraft on Sept. 30, and the third is expected to arrive in spring 2021. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.
The Bell Huey 2 (left) and Airbus H135 helicopters used for security operations at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida perform one flight together on Oct. 27, 2020, before the Hueys are retired from their service. The Airbus H135s are replacing the three Bell Huey 2 aircraft maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. Kennedy received two of the H135 aircraft on Sept. 30, and the third is expected to arrive in spring 2021. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.
On Oct. 27, 2020, in front of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Bell Huey 2 (left) and Airbus H135 helicopters used for security operations at the Florida spaceport perform one flight together before the Hueys are retired from their service. The Airbus H135s are replacing the three Bell Huey 2 aircraft maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. Kennedy received two of the H135 aircraft on Sept. 30, and the third is expected to arrive in spring 2021. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.
On Oct. 27, 2020, in front of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Bell Huey 2 (left) and Airbus H135 helicopters used for security operations at the Florida spaceport perform one flight together before the Hueys are retired from their service. The Airbus H135s are replacing the three Bell Huey 2 aircraft maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. Kennedy received two of the H135 aircraft on Sept. 30, and the third is expected to arrive in spring 2021. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.
On Oct. 27, 2020, in front of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Bell Huey 2 (left) and Airbus H135 helicopters used for security operations at the Florida spaceport perform one flight together before the Hueys are retired from their service. The Airbus H135s are replacing the three Bell Huey 2 aircraft maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. Kennedy received two of the H135 aircraft on Sept. 30, and the third is expected to arrive in spring 2021. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.
On Oct. 27, 2020, in front of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Bell Huey 2 (left) and Airbus H135 helicopters used for security operations at the Florida spaceport perform one flight together before the Hueys are retired from their service. The Airbus H135s are replacing the three Bell Huey 2 aircraft maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. Kennedy received two of the H135 aircraft on Sept. 30, and the third is expected to arrive in spring 2021. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.
On Oct. 27, 2020, in front of the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Bell Huey 2 (left) and Airbus H135 helicopters used for security operations at the Florida spaceport perform one flight together before the Hueys are retired from their service. The Airbus H135s are replacing the three Bell Huey 2 aircraft maintained by Kennedy’s Flight Operations team. Kennedy received two of the H135 aircraft on Sept. 30, and the third is expected to arrive in spring 2021. These new helicopters provide a number of technological and safety advantages over the Hueys, such as more lifting power, greater stability in the air, and expanded medical capabilities.
This map shows the locations of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover and its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter in the sols (Martian days) leading up to the helicopter's 50th flight. The helicopter icon can be seen in the upper left. The rover is shown with a red dot in places where communications with the helicopter were impossible. The rover is shown with a yellow dot at its location when the Flight 50 prep sequence was transferred from rover to helicopter. The rover is shown with a green dot at its nearest point to the helicopter before Flight 50 was executed. Ingenuity's 49th flight occurred on April 2, 2023, the 752nd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission. The 50th flight occurred April 13, 2023, the 763rd Martian sol of the mission. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25961
Bell NAH-1G (USA 70-15979 NASA-736) FLITE Cobra helicopter hovering on Ames ramp is successor to the original FLITE Cobra. It has been used extensively in joint NASA/Army human factors research in the areas of night vision displays and voice communications since its arrival in 1987. Note: Used in publication in Flight Research at Ames; 57 Years of Development and Validation of Aeronautical Technology NASA SP-1998-3300 fig 140
The Mars Helicopter Base Station, seen here as the upper, gold-colored box near the back of NASA's Perseverance rover, stores and routes communications between NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter and mission controllers on Earth. (An annotated version of the image circles the base station in blue.) Ingenuity will attempt the first powered, controlled flight at Mars. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23968
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter can be seen on the belly of the Perseverance rover, ready to be dropped off at the helicopter's deployment location. This image was taken on March 25, 2021, the 35th Martian day, or sol, of the mission, by the WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) camera on the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument, located at the end of the rover's long robotic arm. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24424
Several types of aircraft are on the tarmac at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at NASA's Kennedy Space in Florida. From left, are two Canadian Forces Snowbird CF-18 jets, a NASA Huey helicopter, and two NASA T-38 trainer aircraft. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds performed aerial maneuvers over Kennedy and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station during a practice flight on May 9, 2018, between their scheduled air shows.
A model Sample Recovery Helicopter drives and positions itself over a sample tube during a test in the Mars Yard at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Two Sample Recovery Helicopters are slated to fly to Mars as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. NASA is developing the Sample Recovery Helicopters to serve as backups to the agency's Perseverance rover in transporting sample tubes to the Sample Retrieval Lander. These helicopters are follow-ons to NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which arrived at the Red Planet in the belly of Perseverance in February 2021. The Sample Recovery Helicopters have wheels instead of feet, as well as a small manipulator arm with a two-fingered gripper capable of carrying precious sample tubes. Testing of the Sample Recovery Helicopters is ongoing. The testbed was made by AeroVironment Inc. Movie available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25320
This image shows the flight zone of NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter from the perspective of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. The flight zone is the area within which the helicopter will attempt to fly. An annotated version shows the locations of the helipad (the innermost green box where the rover will deploy the helicopter), the airfield (the next largest green box, a region where the helicopter will always take off and return), and the boundaries of the flight zone (the outermost green lines). The image was taken by the Navigation Cameras aboard the Perseverance rover. The Mars helicopter technology demonstration activity is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate, the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24495
An illustration of NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter flying on Mars. Ingenuity, a technology demonstration experiment, will be the first aircraft to attempt powered, controlled flight on another planet. Ingenuity arrived at Mars on Feb. 18, 2021, attached to the belly of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. Ingenuity is expected to attempt its first flight test in spring 2021. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24466
This image of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter at "Airfield Mu" was taken by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard Perseverance on April 14, 2023, the 764th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission. The helicopter's landing hazard avoidance algorithm helped guide it to a safe landing at Mu the previous sol, after completing its 50th flight. The helicopter is just below and to the left of center in the image. It is about 720 feet (220 meters) away from the rover. The approximately 4-foot-wide (1.2-meter-wide) split boulder, which appears to be directly in front and to the right of the helicopter, is actually about 380 feet (115 meters) in front of the rotorcraft. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25883
Morale was high as the Mars Helicopter team gathered for a group photo on Dec. 3, 2018, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The helicopter, named Ingenuity, is a technology demonstration to test the first powered flight on another world. The helicopter will ride to Mars attached inside the belly of the Perseverance rover. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22650
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter can be seen on the belly of the Perseverance rover on March 26, 2021, the 36th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The helicopter's launch lock, which holds it in place on the rover, has been released. This image was taken by the WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) camera on the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument, located at the end of the rover's long robotic arm. Animations available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24441
The Mars Helicopter team gathers for a group photo at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on Dec. 3, 2018. Holding a full-size model of the helicopter, named Ingenuity, is MiMi Aung, the project manager at JPL. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22649
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter captured this view of its "footprints" during Flight 66 on Nov. 3, 2023. The helicopter was being repositioned to the spot where it will spend several weeks during Mars solar conjunction. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26049
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured this view of Martian sand ripples on Oct. 27, 2023, during Flight 64. The spot where the helicopter would later park and remain during Mars solar conjunction is visible in this image. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26201
Teddy Tzanetos, MiMi Aung and Bob Balaram of NASA's Mars Helicopter project observe a flight test. The image was taken on Jan. 18, 2019 as the flight model of the Mars Helicopter was tested in the Space Simulator, a 25-foot-wide (7.62 meter-wide) vacuum chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23161
NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used this Bell OH-58 helicopter owned by Flight Research Inc. to study urban air mobility vehicle performance, flying qualities, and airspace requirements. The helicopter performed test maneuvers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, during two sessions Nov, 8-10, and Dec. 6, and 8-10.
This is the third color image taken by NASA's Ingenuity helicopter. It was snapped on the helicopter's second flight, on April 22, 2021, from an altitude of about 17 feet (5.2 meters). Tracks made by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover can be seen as well. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24621
This is the second color image taken by NASA's Ingenuity helicopter. It was snapped on the helicopter's second flight, on April 22, 2021, from an altitude of about 17 feet (5.2 meters). Tracks made by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover can be seen as well. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24500
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took these images on its fourth flight, on April 30, 2021, using its navigation camera. The camera, which tracks surface features below the helicopter, takes images at a rate at which the helicopter's blades appear frozen in place, despite making 21 full rotations in-between each image. In flight, the blades spin at 2,537 rpm. The images are aligned entirely using Ingenuity's on-board position tracking system highlighting the stability and accuracy of the navigation algorithm. Movie available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24630
This annotated graphic depicts the orientation of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover during the 17th flight of the agency's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on Dec. 5, 2021. A green dot on the rover, toward the top center of the frame, indicates the location of the Mars Helicopter Base Station antenna on Perseverance, which sends radio signals to and receives them from the rotorcraft. The red line depicts the line of sight to the helicopter during the final moments of Flight 17. Perseverance's power source, the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG), is at the back of the rover, on the right. It angles above the antenna, impeding direct communications between the rover and helicopter as the rotorcraft descended toward the surface at the end of the flight. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24966
A Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mojave, California, prepares to land at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California the first week of December 2020. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project used the helicopter as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to develop a data baseline for future flight testing.
Flight Research Inc.’s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter lands on a helipad at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021 at the completion of an urban air mobility scenario. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project conducted a second phase of research called build II. This helicopter was used as a surrogate urban air mobility vehicle to study aspects of a future air taxi mission.
Flight Research Inc.’s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter takes off from a research helipad at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project utilized several heliports and vertiports to study airspace management evolutions that could enable future urban air mobility operations. Tests were conducted during build II where this helicopter was used as a surrogate urban air mobility or air taxi vehicle.
Flight Research Inc.’s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter hovers over a helipad after completing an urban air mobility approach at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign studied the viability of various urban air mobility approach options during a second phase called build II. This helicopter was used as a surrogate urban air mobility or air taxi vehicle.
Flight Research Inc.'s Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter departs the leeward heliport at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California in March 2021. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project studied wind and structure interactions as part of a second phase of testing called build II. This helicopter was used as a surrogate urban air mobility or air taxi vehicle.
An engineer works on attaching NASA's Mars Helicopter to the belly of the Mars 2020 rover — which has been flipped over for that purpose — on Aug. 28, 2019, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The twin-rotor, solar-powered helicopter was mechanically connected, along with the Mars Helicopter Delivery System, to a plate on the rover's belly that includes a cover to shield the helicopter from debris during entry, descent and landing. The helicopter will remain encapsulated after landing, deploying to the surface once a suitable area to conduct test flights is found at Jezero Crater, the rover's destination. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23372
The Mars Helicopter, visible in lower center of the image, was attached to the belly of NASA's Perseverance rover at Kennedy Space Center on April 6, 2020. The helicopter will be deployed onto the Martian surface about two-and-a-half months after Perseverance lands. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23824
This graphic shows the general activities the team behind NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter hopes to accomplish on a given test flight on the Red Planet. The helicopter will have 31 Earth days (30 sols, or Martian days) for its test flight program. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24496
NASA Mars Helicopter team members work the flight model (the vehicle going to Mars) in the Space Simulator, a 25-foot-wide (7.62-meter-wide) vacuum chamber, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The image was taken on Feb. 1, 2019. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23152
Members of NASA's Ingenuity helicopter team in the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory prepare to receive the data downlink showing whether the helicopter completed its first flight on April 19, 2021. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages this technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA's Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24585
Members of NASA's Ingenuity helicopter team in the Space Flight Operations Facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory react to data showing that the helicopter completed its first flight on April 19, 2021. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages this technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA's Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24499
NASA researchers James Cowart and Elizabeth Nail add sensors, wiring and cameras, to the NASA Airborne Instrumentation for Real-world Video of Urban Environments (AIRVUE) sensor pod at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California in late February 2024. The AIRVUE pod was flown on a helicopter at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is used to collect data for future autonomous aircraft.
NASA researcher James Cowart adds the top back onto the NASA Airborne Instrumentation for Real-world Video of Urban Environments (AIRVUE) sensor pod at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California in late February 2024. The pod houses sensors, wiring and cameras. The AIRVUE pod was flown on a helicopter at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is used to collect data for future autonomous aircraft.
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is seen here at the starting point of its 47th flight on Mars. This video shows the dust initially kicked up by the helicopter's spinning rotors, as well as Ingenuity taking off, hovering, and beginning its 1,444-foot (440-meter) journey to the southwest. The rotorcraft landed – off camera – at Airfield "Iota." The video was captured by the Mastcam-Z imager aboard NASA's Perseverance rover on March 9, 2023. At the time the video was taken, the rover was about 394 feet (120 meters) from the helicopter. Animation available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25686
This black-and-white image was taken by the navigation camera aboard NASA's Ingenuity helicopter during its third flight, on April 25, 2021. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24623
This graphic depicts the most likely scenario for the hard landing NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took during its 72nd and final flight on Jan. 18, 2024. Engineers at JPL and AeroVironment, which collaborated with NASA on the helicopter's design and development, are completing a detailed assessment of the final flight that will be published as an agency technical report. Flight 72 was planned as a brief vertical hop to assess Ingenuity's flight systems and photograph the surrounding area. Data from the flight shows Ingenuity climbing to 40 feet (12 meters), hovering, and capturing images. It initiated its descent at 19 seconds, and by 32 seconds the helicopter was back on the surface and had halted communications. The assessment describes the mostly likely scenario for Flight 72, as follows. Lack of suitable features on the planet's surface for the helicopter's navigation system to track resulted in high horizontal velocities at the time the helicopter touched down. This caused a hard impact on a sloping sand ripple, making Ingenuity pitch and roll. The rapid attitude change resulted in loads on the fast-rotating rotor blades beyond their design limits, snapping all four of them off at their weakest point – about a third of the way from the tip. The damaged blades caused excessive vibration in the rotor system, ripping the remainder of one blade from its root and generating an excessive power demand that resulted in loss of communications. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26482
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter's fifth flight was captured on May 7, 2021, by one of the navigation cameras aboard the agency's Perseverance rover. The helicopter ascended to a new height record of 33 feet (10 meters) flew 424 feet (129 meters) to a new landing site. This was the first time the helicopter made a one-way flight. It was airborne a total of 108 seconds. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24647