Ingenuity Helicopter Makes History

Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech

On April 19, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet. The Ingenuity team at JPL confirmed that the Mars flight had succeeded after receiving data from the helicopter via the Perseverance rover. Altimeter data indicated that Ingenuity climbed to an altitude of 10 feet and maintained a stable hover for 30 seconds. It touched back down on Mars after logging 39.1 seconds of flight. Ingenuity’s initial flight demonstration was piloted by onboard guidance, navigation, and control systems running algorithms developed by the team at JPL. Before being blasted to the Red Planet, Ingenuity was tested in a custom wind tunnel at Caltech. Since April’s initial flight, the helicopter has performed additional experimental flights of incrementally farther distances and greater altitudes.