NASA's Ingenuity team receives prestigious award for pioneering powered flights on Mars

NASA’s Mars Ingenuity helicopter team, on June 10, received the Robert J. Collier trophy for pioneering powered and controlled flights on another planet, Mars in this case. The prestigious award was bestowed on the Ingenuity team by the National Aeronautic Association which recognises “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles.”

Hitherto, the list of winners of the Collier trophy includes Orville Wright in 1913 for developing the automatic stabilizer, Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager for his sound barrier-breaking 1947 flight of the X-1 rocket plane, and the crews of NASA’s Apollo 8, 11, and 15 for their Moon missions. Notably, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team was named the winner in April this year, and it was yesterday when the handlers of the historic helicopter collected the accolade. 

Ingenuity defies odds in the first year of its operation

Surprisingly, the Ingenuity helicopter was sent to Mars with the Perseverance rover only to demonstrate that a powered and controlled flight can be carried out on the red planet. Originally planned for only five flights, Ingenuity has been airborne 25 times and has broken records in the process. Recently, it conducted its longest and fastest flight on Mars as it covered a distance of 2,310 feet (704 meters) at a speed of 12 mph (5.5 meters per second) in a single stretch. Ingenuity, which is just 19.3 inches (49 centimetres) tall and weighs two kg, celebrated the first anniversary of its first flight on April 19.

After landing on the red planet with Perseverance last February, Ingenuity has served as a scout for the rover as it scans the area beforehand. Currently, the helicopter has entered its second year of operation and will continue to cruise through the thin Martian atmosphere.

"Nearly every step we took on this journey moved into uncharted territory, and many didn’t believe we’d even make it into the air. Now, thinking back to waiting nervously to see if our first sortie would be a success, it’s incredible to be where we are today,” the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Teddy Tzanetos, team lead for the helicopter said in a statement. "The Collier Trophy is such an honor, and I’m so proud of everyone who worked so hard to realize this vision".