Ingenuity captured this photo with its RTE (Return To Earth) color camera on Flight 49 which occurred on Sol-752 (April 2, 2023). James Sorenson did some extra processing to this picture to set the framing as well as color balance it to better approximate what the scene would really look like as if someone were flying with Ingenuity at an altitude of 16 meters (52 feet) off the ground.

Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/James Sorenson

I just checked the image server and the helicopter has returned over 8,000 images, and there are hundreds more still on the helicopter

RTE: 419 NavCam: 7952 Total: 8371

  • @paulhammond5155OPEnglish
    1•1 year ago

    NASA developed such a Mars plane many years ago, they even tested its wings being deployed in Earths upper atmosphere, but further development was halted.

    I’m sure there is a good amount of science one could do with a fixed wing plane in continuous operation, but unless it deploys instruments onto the surface, data gathering would have its limits. Even so I would love to see it fly :)