NASA has re-established contact with its miniature helicopter on Mars after a communication outage caused concern. Ingenuity, a 1.6-foot-tall drone, arrived on Mars with the rover Perseverance in 2021 and autonomously became the first motorized craft to fly on another planet. During its 72nd flight, communication between Ingenuity and Perseverance was lost, but NASA announced on X (formerly Twitter) that contact had been regained. The agency is reviewing data to understand the communication dropout, and it is unclear if Ingenuity can fly again. The helicopter, which has surpassed expectations by covering over 10 miles and reaching altitudes of up to 79 feet, has been instrumental in aiding Perseverance’s exploration for signs of ancient microbial life.
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-nasa-regains-contact-mini-helicopter.amp