Mars helicopter gets extra month of flying as rover's scout

NASA's little Mars helicopter is getting an extra month of flying

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA’s little Mars helicopter has gotten a reprieve. Instead of wrapping up flight tests at the beginning of May, NASA is giving its Ingenuity helicopter at least an extra month to tackle tough new terrain and serve as a scout for its companion rover, Perseverance. Officials announced the flight extension Friday, following three successful short flights in under two weeks for the $85 million tech demo. Ingenuity was attempting its fourth flight Friday afternoon; Thursday’s effort failed because of a known software error. On its fifth flight in a week or so, the chopper will move to a new airfield on Mars, allowing the rover to finally start focusing on its own rock-sampling mission. The rover is seeking signs of ancient life at Jezero Crater, home to a lush lakebed and river delta billions of years ago.