NASA's helicopter to attempt 60th flight on Mars

NASA's Mars helicopter will conduct its 60th flight on the Red Planet soon, the agency said on Friday, reported Xinhua.

The 60th flight is scheduled for no earlier than Sept. 25. The helicopter is expected to reach an altitude of about 10 meters and travel about 326 meters for about 124 seconds, according to NASA.

The helicopter, named Ingenuity, arrived at Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, attached to the belly of NASA's Perseverance rover. The helicopter is a technology demonstration to test powered flight on another planet for the first time.

The helicopter was designed to fly for up to 90 seconds, to distances of almost 300 meters at a time and about 3 to 4.5 meters from the ground, according to NASA.