NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Spots Perseverance Mars Rover From the Air

This color image was taken by NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its third flight, on April 25, 2021. The Perseverance Mars rover is visible in the upper left corner. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is visible in the upper left corner of this image the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took during its third flight, on April 25, 2021. The helicopter was flying at an altitude of 16 feet (5 meters) and roughly 279 feet (85 meters) from the rover at the time.

This is a crop of the top-left portion of the above image with contrast enhanced. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, Snapdragon, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. The Mars Helicopter Delivery System was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Space Systems in Denver.