# Saying goodbye to the little helicopter that could | TechCrunch
NASA recently retired its small helicopter, Ingenuity, which had been exploring Mars for nearly three years. The helicopter’s final flight was compromised due to damage to one of its rotor blades. Despite being designed for only five flights, Ingenuity accomplished 72 flights, covering 11 miles and reaching an altitude of 79 feet.
Virgin Galactic had a successful suborbital spaceflight last week, carrying four private astronaut customers, including the first Ukrainian woman in space. The company plans for its next mission later this year.
The space community also reflected on the Challenger disaster that occurred on January 28, 1986, which resulted in the loss of all seven crew members and led to a significant pause in Space Shuttle missions.
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