NASA restores contact with Mars helicopter Ingenuity after communications dropout on latest flight

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter, photographed by the agency's Perseverance rover on April 16, 2023. The rover captured this enhanced-color image using its Mastcam-Z instrument. .

I held my breath for a moment on Jan. 18, when scientists announced they'd lost contact with the Perseverance Mars rover's helicopter friend, Ingenuity. 

Ingenuity had been nearing completion of its 72nd flight — a liftoff far past the threshold of "borrowed time" in this case, as the mighty craft was originally built for a mere maximum of five flights. The fate of Ingenuity was pretty uncertain for a short while.