NASA Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Completes Historic 1st Flight On Red Planet
NASAs Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has created history by being the first aircraft to achieve controlled powered flight on a planet beyond Earth. This is the first time a spacecraft or aircraft built by humans has successfully taken flight on an alien planet. The helicopter traveled to Mars attached to the underside of the rover Perseverance which touched down on the planet on February 18 on a mission to search for signs of extraterrestrial life.
NASA¡¯s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has created history by being the first aircraft to achieve controlled, powered flight on a planet beyond Earth, the US space agency¡¯s engineers confirmed.
NASA
This is the first time a spacecraft or aircraft built by humans has successfully taken flight on an alien planet, which is a tremendous achievement for the entire human race.
ALSO READ: Ingenuity Helicopter Prepares To Fly On Mars, With A Piece Of Earth's 1st Airplane
"Ingenuity has performed its first flight ¡ª the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet!"
¡ª NASA (@NASA) April 19, 2021
The data reveals: Our #MarsHelicopter has had a successful first flight: ? pic.twitter.com/h5a6aGGgHG
In NASA¡¯s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, engineers cheered in jubilation at 4.30 pm IST as an image was transmitted back to Earth by the helicopter showing its shadow looming over the Martian surface during its flight, at 1pm IST on Mars.
ALSO READ: NASA Creates History: Successfully Lands Perseverance Rover On Mars
NASA officials have been likening it to the Wright brothers flight in 1903. A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honour of that feat.
"We've been talking for so long about our Wright brothers moment. And here it is."
¡ª NASA (@NASA) April 19, 2021
MiMi Aung, #MarsHelicopter Project Manager, takes a moment to thank the @NASAJPL team following the news of the successful Ingenuity test flight: pic.twitter.com/qeoQnOdXiK
The helicopter traveled to Mars attached to the underside of the rover Perseverance, which touched down on the planet on February 18 on a mission to search for signs of extraterrestrial life.
Incredible. Ingenuity¡¯s shadow during flight. Biggest congrats to #MarsHelicopter team! pic.twitter.com/YCzpJ1b2Kg
¡ª Thomas Zurbuchen (@Dr_ThomasZ) April 19, 2021
Ingenuity's goal, by contrast, is to demonstrate its technology works, and it won't contribute to Perseverance's science goals. But it is hoped that Ingenuity can pave the way for future flyers that revolutionise our exploration of celestial bodies.
The little rotorcraft that could.??
¡ª NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) April 19, 2021
Ingenuity documented its historic ascent today. Here's the #MarsHelicopter's POV during first flight. That's its shadow on the ground below. pic.twitter.com/wXgLyTDbjm
The $85 million Ingenuity is the first helicopter ever sent to another planet. It was planned to take off a few feet from the ground, hover in the air for about 20 to 30 seconds, and land, marking a major milestone--the very first powered flight in the extremely thin atmosphere of Mars that is less than 1 per cent of the Earth¡¯s density.
You wouldn¡¯t believe what I just saw.
¡ª NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 19, 2021
More images and video to come...#MarsHelicopterhttps://t.co/PLapgbHeZU pic.twitter.com/mbiOGx4tJZ
NASA had originally planned the flight for April 11 but postponed it over a software issue that was identified during a planned high-speed test of the aircraft's rotors.
ALSO READ: Designed By IIT Alumni, NASA Ingenuity Helicopter Will Make History On Mars
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA¡¯s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet, the space agency said.
