In a statement on Wednesday, NASA said that Vaneeza Rupani, a 17-year-old junior at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport, Alabama, came up with the name and the motivation behind it during NASA’s “Name the Rover” essay contest.
“The ingenuity and brilliance of people working hard to overcome the challenges of interplanetary travel are what allow us all to experience the wonders of space exploration,” Rupani wrote in her contest submission. “Ingenuity is what allows people to accomplish amazing things, and it allows us to expand our horizons to the edges of the universe.”
Rupani’s was among 28,000 essays submitted to NASA by K-12 students from every U.S. state and territory recommending names for the next Mars rover. In March, the agency announced that seventh-grader Alexander Mather’s essay earned him the honor of naming the rover Perseverance.
It seemed only fitting that a name for the helicopter come from the same essays that named the Mars Rover, so that is what NASA did, according to NBC News. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Ingenuity “encapsulates the values that our helicopter tech demo will showcase.”
Proud that Vaneeza Rupani named Rupani of Northport on being selected for this prestigious honor! SenShelby) April 29, 2020
Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby also congratulated Rupani for the honor. “I am proud that NASA’s Mars Helicopter will be named by Vaneeza Rupani of Northport, Alabama,” said Sen. Shelby. “This is a unique privilege. Ms. Rupani’s essay on why she chose the name ‘Ingenuity’ highlights her creativity, originality, and intelligence. Her grasp on the importance of exploration is extraordinary, and I am confident that she has a bright future ahead. Congratulations to Ms. Rupani on being selected for this prestigious honor.”
The Ingenuity has already completed testing in a NASA simulation chamber in Southern California. The next step is being attached to the Mars Rover, Perseverance that will take off for Mars in July or August, according to CTV News Canada.
Once on the Martian surface, Ingenuity will remain covered up to protect it from debris until the time is just right for that first flight. It will then have a 31-day flight window to prove that powered flights can be accomplished on Mars, NASA said.
Mashable is reporting that the helicopter has two cameras on board, so it is possible that we could actually see pictures of that first flight, and that will be exciting.
