A Helicopter Made the First Powered Flight on Another Planet
On April 19, 2021, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter made the first powered, controlled flight on another planet, in the skies of Mars.
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, on Mars, on April 19, 2021. It went on to complete 72 flights before its mission ended in January 2024.
Explanation
The first aircraft to fly on another world was a small helicopter. NASA states that on April 19, 2021, its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter completed the first powered, controlled flight on another planet, a feat that has been called a Wright Brothers moment. Ingenuity rode to Mars strapped beneath the Perseverance rover. It was light, at about 4 pounds, or 1.8 kilograms. NASA designed it as a technology demonstration that would make no more than five test flights in 30 days. It did far more than that. The helicopter eventually completed 72 flights across nearly three years, soaring higher and faster than previously imagined. According to NASA, Ingenuity flew for the last time on January 18, 2024, and completed its mission on January 25, 2024.
Source and verification
- Source
- NASA Tier A
- Last verified
- Confidence
- 95 out of 100
- Verified by
- Ali Ahmad Chaudhry