One year ago, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter became the first aircraft to achieve controlled, powered flight on another planet.
Ingenuity's maiden flight took place on April 19, 2021, and the team marked occasion by sharing a video showing that special moment 12 months ago when news came through that the drone-like aircraft had successfully performed its record-breaking first flight:
On April 19, 2021, our #MarsHelicopter made history by completing the first powered flight on another planet. The flight lasted 39.1 seconds. One year later, Ingenuity has logged over 46 minutes aloft and traveled 3.6 miles (5.8 km). See what’s next: https://t.co/sOjNE1g7MR pic.twitter.com/19wyExAXHy
— NASA (@NASA) April 19, 2022
The team spent years designing, building, and testing a 19-inch-high helicopter before sending it all the way to the red planet.
The first flight of Ingenuity took place a couple of months after reaching Mars. The historic moment was captured by one of Perseverance's cameras.
Video of the first flight of Mars Helicopter Ingenuity, including takeoff and landing.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS pic.twitter.com/FCwhNPX8AS
— Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) April 20, 2021
The flight proved that Ingenuity could handle the thin atmosphere of Mars. It inspired NASA engineers to consider more complex designs for future missions to Mars.
In the year since it's maiden flight, Ingenuity has flown a total of 46 minutes in the air and traveled 3.6 miles across 25 separate missions.
The most recent flight, which took place on April 8, set a new speed record of 12.3 mph and a distance of 708.4 meters.
The longest time in the air during a single flight was recorded last summer.
The team at JPL transitioned Ingenuity from a technology demonstration project to an operations demonstration phase after just four flights, a move that paved the way for the helicopter to assist Perseverance in its exploration of the distant planet.
Since then, the aircraft has been using its onboard cameras to photograph terrain to help the JPL team plan safe and efficient routes for Perseverance to take between locations of interest.
It hasn't all been smooth sailing for Ingenuity and the team has had to overcome several technical issues along the way. The helicopter's ability to overcome problems from millions of miles away is a mark of its design and engineering skills.
Expect more challenging flights in the coming months as the team pushes Ingenuity to its limits while keeping the machine safe.
Recommended video
All Rights Reserved © 2024
