“NASA has lost contact with the helicopter before, including for an agonizing two months last year.”
Ingenuity was built for five flights over 30 days. It has now flown 72 times and covered just over 10 miles. Contact dropped on Flight 72 and came back only because Perseverance sat and listened for it. A four-pound demo was supposed to be done in 2021 and NASA is still running it on borrowed time in 2024.